


To Catch an Angel

by GintaxAlvissforever



Category: Subarashiki Kono Sekai | The World Ends With You
Genre: Angst, Backstory, Drama & Romance, F/F, F/M, Friends to Lovers, Humor, Hurt/Comfort, Implied Relationships, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Implied/Referenced Suicide, M/M, Mental Breakdown, Mental Health Issues, Original Character(s), Past Character Death, Past Relationship(s), Post-Canon, Sexual Tension, Slow Burn, Suspense, Unresolved Sexual Tension
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-01-12
Updated: 2018-11-20
Packaged: 2019-03-03 18:48:55
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 12
Words: 65,401
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13347315
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GintaxAlvissforever/pseuds/GintaxAlvissforever
Summary: If a friend goes missing, you chase after them. Joshua was no different.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> So I'm going to say this right now, this is my friend TheAlmightyComposer's work. If you look on fanfiction.net, you would notice she hasn't updated since 2013. She hasn't been on since December and I fear the worse for her. What she told me when we would PM on FF.Net is that should she ever get bored/lose motivation that I could take over the story. 
> 
> In this case, I'm honoring her. 4 years without a response has a dark implication of what happened to her. If anyone knows how to contact TheAlmightyComposer, I would more appreciate it. She is one of my best friends and one of the best writers in the TWEWY fandom. 
> 
> For everyone's information, I started beta reading her fic for her starting from chapter 3 and she let me in on the details of her story after chapter 9. Chapters 1-9 are all written by TheAlmightyComposer with only a few minor edits on my end (I won't change the story). From there, I will be following her outline she gave me before she disappeared. Bear with me people. I know her writing style enough and got a good idea what she wanted to accomplish but I'm not as good as her. ^^; Enjoy.

Neku sat under the statue of Hachiko, staring aimlessly out over the sea of people that buzzed all around him. Eyes scanned over the chatter, searching for something, anything…but nothing was there.

He hasn't shown up today either…

An irritated sigh escaped his lips as he got to his feet, absentmindedly stretching up above his head as he cast one last glance over the masses. It just made no sense! He'd thought Joshua would've appeared by now. Then again, it had been two weeks since the Game had ended. Maybe he'd forgotten? No, he was always obnoxiously precise and organized. So maybe…

Neku bit back a hiss as his thoughts chased themselves around his head, firing off reasons faster than one of his rapid-fire pins. Why did Joshua have to be so bloody complicated? There had to be a reason why he hadn't shown up… and as far as Neku was concerned, the idea that he was brushing them off simply wasn't possible.

He knew that the others believed it; with Beat storming off after the third day followed by Shiki during the fifth, until even Rhyme quietly left on the seventh with an apology and sympathy in her eyes. But Neku continued, waiting for half an hour each day after school.

It turned out that he and Shiki went to the same school, much to his delight. Neku just never noticed due to his sheer determination to shut the world out. And so he'd settled into a routine: leave school with Shiki and Eri, meet up with Beat and Rhyme at the Wildkat café and muck about, then Neku would go wait at Hachiko while everyone went their separate ways. Mr. H was more than happy for the extra business, and Eri has settled into their little group quite well. Shiki had of course told her everything, so she didn't get mad when Neku occasionally mixed the two of them up…

Wait.

Mr. H!

Sanae had known Joshua for ages and even worked with him. Surely he'd know something Neku didn't! Without a second thought he spun on his heel, bolting towards Cat Street and the likeable designer that lived therein.

"So let me get this straight," Mr. H hummed as he fiddled with his coffee, pressing the right buttons to create what he had learned was Neku's favorite blend. "You want to know about Joshua so you can figure out why he hasn't shown up yet, and how to fix it."

"That sounds about right." Neku nodded in thanks for the steaming cup that was placed in front of him, sighing appreciatively as he cradled it in his hands. "You told me earlier that he used to drop by, back when he was living in the RG."

The older man simply nodded, easing himself down in the chair opposite. "Mm, he did. That doesn't mean that I know everything."

"Well, you've definitely been around him longer than the one week I have!" Neku laughed as he spoke, already wrapped up in the likable aura that seemed to follow CAT's true face everywhere. "Besides, the two of you seemed to get along. And it's not like Joshua was born the Composer or anything." Neku deliberately pushed aside the uncomfortable revelation that Joshua must've killed the old Composer in favor of focusing on his companion.

"Heh… You've certainly thought this through!" Mr. H chuckled, regarding the ex-player with genuine amusement. "All right Phones, I'll tell ya what I know if you can answer one thing for me."

Neku simply nodded, puzzled. What on earth could he possibly know that Mr. H didn't? "Shoot."

"Why do you want Joshua to come back?" Neku blinked at that. Well, that was easy.

"…He's my friend. I invited him and he didn't show up, and I wanna know why. Also he can't get away with leaving me hanging like this!" Neku's joking tone only seemed to exasperate the designer, uneasily scratching the back of his neck.

"Okay, lemme try that again. Joshua lied to, manipulated and killed you, but you still consider him a friend and want to understand him. Tell me, what is driving this endless trust? Why do you want Joshua to come back?"

Ah.

Neku stared into his coffee, Mr. H's question racing around his head. Why did he want to see Joshua so bad? He knew that he was stubborn, but… Most sane people would push themselves away from their would-be killer, and yet here Neku was, chasing after the kid that actually did end his life. It did make you wonder. He must've been silent for a while as Mr. H sighed deeply, shifting in his seat.

"Well, you don't have to answer it now. Just keep it in mind, okay?" The designer grinned at the ex-player, attempting to bring back the light-hearted mood from before and snap Neku out of his brooding. "Let's see… Joshua. Ah, where to start?"

"At the beginning would be nice."

Neku's mouth twitched upwards, taking a sip of his brew in a bid to forget the uncomfortable questions Sanae had put forward. Luckily said male seemed just as eager to move on, so the soul-searching was quickly forgotten.

"Well then, Joshua was born in Shibuya hospital at three AM on the…"

"Not that far back, you dolt!" he couldn't help it, Neku just burst out laughing. He had good coffee, good music and good company. What else could he possibly need? Mr. H flashed him a lopsided grin, kicking up his feet to rest on the table in front of him.

"Whoops, my bad! Let's see...Joshua staggered in here one day, covered in bruises and soaking wet. Turned out he'd gotten lost on his way home in the pelting rain. So I, being the handsome gentleman that I am, gave him coffee and helped him warm up. It was then that he said the strangest thing."

"What?"

"He said 'They're waiting for me outside.' He murmured it so quietly I thought I'd misheard him, but he obviously hadn't noticed he'd said it aloud, so I let it slide. Thought maybe he'd caught hypothermia or something, hallucinations and all that. So he stayed inside until the rain stopped, quietly thanked me, and left."

"That's it?" Neku had expected something a bit more…dramatic. Explosive. Over the top. Something that sounded more like Joshua. The designer glared at Neku, obviously unimpressed by the interruption.

"Phones...He came back the next day, idiot. Shuffled in awkwardly with a few muffled words of gratitude and change to pay for the coffee I gave him. It was the first time I got a good look at him, and lemme tell ya, he looked nothing like he does now."

Now that got the ex-player wondering. Was Joshua secretly a brunette? Did he dress like a hipster during his spell in the world of the living?

"What, did he have long hair or something?" Mr. H just snorted at that, waving away the question without a second thought.

"Not physically different, per se, more like... well, you know how Josh always looks confident?" He paused to give Neku time to nod. "There was none of that self-assurance in his face. He looked exhausted, miserable, shut down."

Neku couldn't believe it. Since when was Joshua any of those things? I mean, sure, he was sorta shut down in his own way...but miserable? Please.

"Are we talking about the same person?"

"Afraid so, Phones. Anyway, there was one physical difference, and I think I mentioned it earlier. The kid had so many bruises and cuts that it looked like he'd been put into a tumble dryer filled with rocks. He had a bunch of Band-Aids all over his face as well...you had to wonder what this kid did in his spare time, but he was way too scrawny to go around starting brawls.

He hung around for a bit after that, hiding in the corner with a cuppa joe and a biscuit. To be honest, he was so quiet I kinda forgot he was there! A far cry from our current Joshua, eh?" Mr. H chuckled, taking a swig from his own brew before continuing. "It was when I was clearing the tables that I heard a second tidbit from our kid, who was staring intently out the window at the time. He mumbled something along the lines of 'They're not coming in after me...I wonder why?' At this point I thought Josh was loony. I was getting all prepared to call the police; there's a kid hallucinating inside my café! But before I could grab the phone he abruptly stood up and walked out, shuddering violently as soon as he set foot outside. So I peeked out after him, and lo and behold Josh was possessed by a horde of Noise!"

"WHAT?!" Neku screeched, making the designer wince. "Is that even possible?!"

"Pipe down! Yeesh... remember that we're talking about when Josh was still human." That seemed to calm the ex-player down, much to Mr. H's relief. "Back on topic, I immediately assumed that the sheer number of Noise had taken their usual 'let's make this kid miserable' into 'let's drive this bloke insane'. And of course, since my café repels Noise, it explained why he felt like 'they' were waiting outside. His sanity returned once the Noise was off him."

"That's stupid. How could you possibly not realize he was talking about the Noise?"

"Gimme a break Phones! Josh is the only kid ever who could see Noise without being part of the game, at least the only one I'm aware of. It was common knowledge that it was impossible for any living human to see or be aware of the UG, so I'm afraid the possibility never crossed my mind. Now, if you've finished interrupting..." Neku took the hint and nodded, awkwardly waving for him to continue. "Good. So anyway, I had a moment of compassion for the Noise-horde kid, so I stuck my head out the door and yelled at him."

"Wow, you showed some real compassion there, yelling at a possessed minor."

"Shut it, Phones. What I said was the important bit."

"Well, by all means, continue."

"I don't appreciate the sarcasm, kid. The gist of what I yelled was 'Oi, I can see you ain't feeling so hot, but if you ever wanna talk, or if you just feel like company, I'll keep a cuppa Joe waiting.' ...Or something along those lines. I forget. But it was then that I saw a miraculous thing."

"Like what?"

"I saw Joshua smile."

Neku just rolled his eyes, unimpressed with Mr. H's so-called miracle. So what; Joshua smiled all the time. Usually when he was plotting someone's death or mocking something.

"So?"

"No, I don't think you understand." The designer insisted, making an effort to catch Neku's gaze. "I don't mean that smarmy grin he always wears, I mean an honest-to-God, happiness-displaying, real smile."

"...Shit." As much as the teen hated to admit it, he was dumbstruck. Joshua giving a true smile? Good God that would be a sight to behold. Neku found himself in awe, and just a little bit envious. The awkward questions from before suddenly reared up and Neku had to beat then back down with a mental stick, already knowing the answer but like hell he was going to acknowledge it. Was he in denial? Yup, and he was going to stay there come hell or high water.

"Exactly," Mr. H nodded, satisfied that his point had been driven home. "He made an effort to drop by after that. I found out that his name was Yoshiya, that he had a fondness for word and logic puzzles, and that he was a real wiz with numbers. Looking back on it, I also started to see some of the real Joshua."

"What, all smug and obnoxious?"

"Nah," The designer shook his head. "I mean his dry sense of humor, those strangely polite yet witty remarks he's so fond of. Backhanded compliments and the like."

"I see. And?"

Mr. H simply grinned, taking a draw of his coffee to relish in Neku's impatient tapping. Finally the teen could stand the forced silence no more.

"Fine, I'll bite. What happened next?"

"What happens next is that you go home because it's closing time."

"What?" A quick glance outside confirmed his suspicions; the street lights were on. "Shit!" He had homework to finish! Mr. H grinned at Neku's sudden panic, standing up to cheerfully slap him on the back.

"Aw, don't worry! I'll tell you the rest of Josh's tale tomorrow. Now scram." He didn't need any further encouragement, Neku bolting out of that store faster than you could blink. Maybe Shiki would let him copy her math out of pity again. Joshua would have to wait for another day.


	2. Chapter 2

Here he was again sitting once more in the WildKat café nursing a cup of coffee while Mr. H sat opposite of him. It was giving Neku a terrible sense of Déjà vu. Add that to the headache he earned by his math teacher biting his head off (damn Shiki, not letting him copy. 'Taking responsibility' my ass.), and you were left with a very pissed off teen who was not in the mood to put up with any shit today. Of course, the designer picked up on it instantly and proceeded to be as annoying as possible.

Normally he couldn't get away with it. Except this time Neku needed information and Mr. H was the only one that could provide it. So the ex-Player gritted his teeth and put up with the miraculous lack of his favorite coffee, the glass of water that was 'accidentally' spilled down his chest, he even lived through the crack about his fashion sense. However this? This was where he drew the line.

"…Come on, out with it." He growled, glaring across the table at the smug man opposite. "I don't have all day."

"…"

The designer was struggling to hold back a grin as he stayed silent, casually sipping his coffee in an attempt to stay quiet and further aggravate Neku. It was working surprisingly well. He thought he could almost see the steam coming out of his ears! True enough Neku was close to losing it, severely tempted to start pumping music through his headphones to calm down. He hadn't shut people out with music in a long time…but the option was becoming more and more attractive the longer the silence dragged on. But when the teen finally gave in and reached for his Walkman, Mr. H sighed playfully and spoke.

"Could have fooled me. But fine, I'll spill. Let's see… where were we up to?"

"Joshua started to become a regular at your café." Neku wasn't going to put up with any more delaying tactics, cutting in before the designer had a chance to drag his thoughtfulness out. The ploy was obvious but Mr. H let it slide. He knew when to drop a joke.

"That's right! What came next was the rather minor happening of Josh stumbling in, dripping blood and sporting sizeable bruises. He could barely stand, poor kid."

"Wait, what?" Well, that was an abrupt start to the story. Was Mr. H still messing with him?

"You heard me. He'd been beaten up."

"But, he's..." The idea of Joshua getting pummeled was incomprehensible to Neku. Sure, there were definitely people that wanted to sock him one, but he'd just laugh and show off his force field, or call light down from the sky, or teleport, or...

"You keep forgetting that back then, Josh wasn't the almighty Composer. He was just a scrawny kid that looked far too feminine for his own good." The designer sighed, swirling his coffee before continuing. "It was lucky there was no one else in the café at the time, otherwise we would have had quite a scene."

"That bad, huh..."

"Mhmm. Did I mention that he was crying?"

"WHAT."

"Obviously not. Well yeah, there was waterworks and everything. Silent tears though, no sobbing. I took him back to a table, fussed over him for a bit while wiping up the blood. I offered to call his parents, and the level of resistance I got from him was...telling, to say the least. It was now that I sat down and said 'look Josh, I haven't asked questions the other times you've gained bruises, but this is just too far. Please just spill the beans or I'll have to call your parents.'"

"Wow, you seem to remember this rather well."

"So I should. It's not every day that roadkill peels itself off the side of the road and wanders into your shop."

"...Ouch." Neku winced just thinking about it. Obviously Joshua was in quite a state...

"Yeah. Anyway, he did."

"...What?"

"Spill the beans! Keep up, Phones! Joshua sniffled then told me everything!"

"Well then, tell me!" Neku was getting fed up with Mr. H's love of dramatic flair. Said designer just grinned, waving his mug for effect.

"Fine, fine. Turns out I wasn't the only one that thought Josh was nuts, almost everyone he knew shared my opinion. He was on meds and everything. In Joshua's own words, he 'saw things- things that couldn't exist'."

"Wait, so he-"

"Don't interrupt! He went on to tell me that his parents were rather...unsupportive shall we say, and they had no clue how to deal with a child that wasn't completely sane. His Ma usually sobbed and screamed, while his Da just gave up on him and pretended he wasn't there. Hardly an environment that made you feel normal, eh?"

"I...wow."

"There's more. Josh told me that he'd been 'seeing things' for as long as he could remember, and, well...you know how you'll happily blurt out anything when you're little?"

"Oh my God, don't tell me...no no no." Neku murmured, already seeing where this was going and dreading it.

"Fraid so, Phones. Lil' Tyke Joshua would calmly go up and talk to people, complaining about the 'tattooed froggies'. Of course people just labelled it an overactive imagination. So they all just smiled and agreed, further convincing mini-Josh that it was all real."

"Hang on...tattooed froggies? Surely you must've picked up on that!" Mr. H simply grinned at Neku's half-shouted triumph.

"Yeah, that did set alarm bells off. I wasn't convinced though, it coulda just been coincidence..."

Neku was rather unimpressed with the designer's reasoning, to say the least, and wasted no time in telling him so.

"Really? You were that desperate to ignore the facts?"

"I'm a sceptic, so sue me. Anyway, as he got older people started to suspect that Josh thought his 'imaginings' were real, but nobody lifted a finger. The teachers thought his parents would deal with it, and his parents thought the opposite. Strangely enough, his 'imagined world' actually made him quite popular."

"Seriously?" Neku couldn't imagine anyone enjoying the idea of a game of death. Then he recalled the group of seven year olds he saw running around the park trying to shoot each other with finger guns and suddenly the idea didn't seem so obscure after all.

"Oh yes. They all picked a 'tattooed creature' and went around pretending to eat the other ones."

"Huh? I thought they'd pretend to be Reapers."

"Actually Joshua couldn't see Reapers or Players at that point. His ability was still growing, so he could only see the lowest frequency of Noise, like Noise no.1. He couldn't see possessing Noise either. So time went by, and when Joshie's 12th birthday rolled by everything started to go to hell for the kid. His friends grew older and got tired of his 'imaginings', his parents were getting more and more worried and to top it all off, Josh started to see Players." Mr. H paused to sigh at this point, glancing pointedly across the table at Neku. "All his trouble stemmed from this ability, so it's no wonder he's rather ruthless with 'em."

Neku didn't understand. So what? He started to see Players. If he could get away with seeing monsters for twelve years of his life, why should seeing people have such a devastating impact? His silence spoke volumes for him, causing Mr. H to sigh again.

"Obviously you don't get it. Fine, I'll spell it out for ya. Josh couldn't differentiate between the UG and the RG. To him they were one and the same. So he'd go up and talk to Players as you would to any other person, but everyone else would see him having a conversation with empty space. Do you get it now? It looked like he was hallucinating- and badly."

"Wait, he'd talk to players?"

"Yup, and this interaction made his imagination explode in power. Suddenly he could see Reapers, Game Masters, Erasures, possessions, you name it. He'd befriend Players just to see them Erased in front of him the next day, he'd see the noise possessing his miserable classmates and all the while unable to see the difference between the two grounds. Everyone was a target. Everyone could be Erased because he couldn't separate the two worlds to tell him otherwise. Do you understand, Phones? To him, everyone was a Player."

Neku sat there, staring into his now empty mug as he processed this new information. Suddenly Joshua's twisted demeanor didn't seem so strange. Hell, if Neku lived his life knowing that invisible monsters could hijack people's emotions he'd probably end up in a loony farm let alone if he saw people being erased. One question rose through his confused thoughts, slipping through his lips without his knowledge.

"How on earth did he get through it?"

"He was given an explanation that removed his constant fear. He was told that he was insane and that he could take a pill to remove it all." Mr. H stated simply, grunting in annoyance at the lack of coffee in his cup. "Of course, everything I've told you so far is tainted by the glasses of pre-knowledge. The way Josh told it was that he was nuts and he knew it, and it was only when he started listing names that I made the connection. Back on topic, twelve-year-old Joshua did the first thing any kid does when they're scared shitless. He ran to his Ma. Needless to say, he was hauled to a shrink faster than you can say 'parental freak out'. Of course the guy had trouble diagnosing him because all he seemed to do was hallucinate. Eventually the guy copped out and forged a shoddy diagnosis of Schizophrenia."

It was hard to miss the sudden bitterness in Mr. H's tone, and Neku had to wonder.

"You sound rather pissed off at this guy."

"Hell yeah I am." The designer continued with an angry swig of his mysteriously refilled coffee. "He put Josh on heavy meds that did jack shit because he wasn't actually loony. Josh spent three years in a fog because of that quack." He slammed his mug down and fixed Neku with a hard stare unnerving the teen. He'd never seen Mr. H this serious about something…ever.

"Schizophrenia meds are horrible, Phones. In Joshua's own words: 'it feels like you're a prisoner in your own mind.' All your emotions are dulled to token levels and it's near impossible to care about anything. He had no motivation, no desire to do anything really. If he was forced into action, he would do the bear minimum required. Josh trotted in once under the influence of the pills his Ma snuck into his food and lemme tell you, I have never seen anything so…un-Joshua. He looked me straight in the eyes and told me in this horrible monotone voice that he wished to die."

"…" Neku bit back strangely protective urges in favor of moody silence, unable to comprehend a Joshua that disconnected. It sounded like someone else, definitely not the giggly asshole he knew. Ugh, now he wanted to hit something…preferably a shrink.

"Of course Josh felt pretty miserable on the rare times he was off the drugs, and that's when the Noise got a hold on him. The worst part was he could see the Noise that followed him around. He knew what they were doing, but he was powerless to stop it. He felt completely and utterly helpless. Word got out at school that he was nuts after he tripped over and spilled his meds everywhere, so of course he was hassled there. Quite badly, in fact. Eventually he learnt how to avoid the medication by being careful what he ate, but the damage was done. He was possessed by a massive amount of Noise, everyone he called friend now avoided him or made an effort to make his life hell and he still couldn't tell what was in the RG or the UG. So he took the easiest option out."

"Wait…so he actually ki-"

"Don't jump to conclusions, Phones. How could've I learnt this through alive Joshua if he'd offed himself? No, he decided not to care. It was surprisingly easy for him. All he had to do was replicate how he'd felt on the pills. He found that if he acted like everything was imagined then it didn't matter what he saw. So what if his classmate was possessed? So what if that kid was getting Erased? He just shut everything out." Mr. H sent a pointed glance at Neku over the table, a cocky grin on his face. "Sounds familiar, don't it?"

Neku shifted uncomfortably. He didn't like being reminded of his rather…anti-social behavior before the Game, but yet Mr. H delighted in bringing it up. Said man nodded satisfied that his point had been driven home.

"But unlike the unnamed party over here, Josh didn't enjoy the emptiness that this attitude brought with it. He used to be quite social, you know. So to try and fight off the loneliness Joshie decided to go the other way and enjoy the suffering of others."

"What?! That makes no sense, even with Joshua's faulty logic!"

"Actually, if you think about it, it does. What better way to convince yourself that you're not miserable and alone if you take joy in what makes you feel isolated?" The designer emphasized his point with a swirl of his brew leaving Neku to stew over these disturbing details. So if Joshua deliberately felt no empathy and took joy in the pain of others then that meant…

"He turned himself into a sociopath…" He murmured under his breath, his discovery clicking like the final piece in a puzzle. Could you even do that? Neku thought you had to be born with it…

"Yup, and while generally people are born with it, there have been a few people who generate it themselves. Josh had a bit of help though; the Noise has been known to addle with peoples brains if they're left on their host for long enough."

"Okay, so Joshua's a sadist and not entirely well in the head. We know this already. So? What happened next?" Surprisingly, the ex-Players question was answered with a sigh.

"That's just it, Phones. I don't know."

"What? But you said…"

"I said I know most of the story, but this segment is a mystery. Oh, I've tried to get it outta him, but he'll barely talk about his stint in the Game."

"Josh was a Player?" And of course directly after he said that Neku had to resist the urge to slap himself in the face for stating the bloody obvious. Of course Joshua was a Player! You couldn't become the Composer without at least entering the UG. Judging by the smirk on the designers face he found it rather amusing himself, So Neku hurriedly covered his embarrassment with another, less obvious question. "What on earth was his entry fee?" Once again, he was answered by sighing.

"Phones, if he won't even tell me what happened when he was a player, do ya really think he'd tell me what was most precious to him?"

"…Point taken."

"Good." An uneasy silence swamped the room, with neither party quite sure what to do with such an abrupt end to the conversation. Neku was just contemplating the least awkward way to take his leave when Mr. H groaned and cradled his head in his spare hand, startling the teen.

"Mr. H?"

"Ugh, I'm sorry kid. I do know a little bit more, but…I'm just not used to spilling Josh's secrets like this. I understand what you're trying to do, and Lord knows he needs a friend apart from me, but it just feels…wrong, ya know?" He mumbled it into the tabletop, and Neku wasn't quite sure whether he was meant to hear that or not. Nevertheless he pushed on.

"I do understand, Mr. H. But I really need to know. Please help me out." The designer's mouth twitched into a sardonic smirk at that, and the teen was forced to admit that it scared him a little.

"I know, I know. I'll tell you, but it really is a tiny amount more. Pity it sparks so many questions…" Mr. H seemed to pull himself together, picking back up his coffee before flashing the ex-Player a grin. "Right! So, after a while Joshua just disappeared from my café."

"Disappeared?"

"Poof. Gone. Heard nothing for a couple of years before he was reintroduced to me as the Composer of Shibuya. I never even saw him as a Reaper.

Eventually I managed to coax a couple of vague details about his time as a Player, but I'm warning ya, they raise more questions than answers. So no pestering me with puzzled outbursts, okay? Cause I don't know the solutions either." Neku nodded impatiently, waving the designer on.

"Heh. Fine, all I know is that Joshua met his partner before he joined the game. They were planning to take down the Composer together, but he betrayed his partner to get a head start up the promotional ladder. Oh yes, and his partner had fallen for him and they were in a relationship."

"WHAT?!" Neku knew he promised not to explode but dammit, the idea of Joshua in a relationship just felt wrong. Those strange protective urges were back tenfold, and he had to struggle to refrain from running out into the street and punching this mysterious partner. Hard. Of course, his sudden aggressive tendencies only made it really hard for Mr. H not to laugh.

"Why, whatever's the matter Phones? It looks like you've been struck down with a bad case of jealousy~"

"Oh shut up, I just never thought Joshua was capable of being together in a romantic sense." That was a bald-faced lie, and both of them knew it. Thankfully the older man let it go, but not without a good chuckle at Neku's expense.

"Whatever ya say, Phones, whatever ya say." The designer took a swig of his now cold coffee, making the teen's nose wrinkle up in disgust. He could never get how some people could drink cold coffee... blech.

"So now you know everything that I know. Whaddya gonna do about it?"

That...was a good question. What was he going to do? These thoughts plagued the ex-Players head as he slowly got to his feel, staring aimlessly at the wall beyond while he pondered.

"I take it by the blank look on your face that you have no clue."

And as soon as Mr. H spoke up, Neku was struck by an idea. Of course, his entire plan was precariously balanced on one detail that he wasn't even sure if it was correct or not, but hey. It was worth a try.

"Actually, I do. But I need you to confirm something for me." Mr. H raised an eyebrow at that, but waved Neku on.

"Sure. What can I help ya with?"

"Did Joshua ever get his entry fee back?" And, seeing the blank look on the designer's face, Neku launched into a rather nervous explanation. "It's just that I was talking with Beat earlier and we were wondering if he ever got his entry fee back. Of course it's back now, since it's Rhymes memories and all, but when he became a Reaper it's not like he could ask her and I'm pretty sure Joshua deliberately returned his fee once everything was said and done. I got mine back when I re-entered, but that's only because I became a player again and Beat never recalled anyone saying his entry free had been returned so-"

"No, no, I get ya." Mr. H chuckled, effectively shutting up the rambling teen. "And you're absolutely right. You don't get your entry fee back if you become a Reaper. It's returned to the RG. Nice idea Phones! I'd check his old house first, but his parents are still around. Good luck getting around that one." Neku simply grinned, already aware of a plan forming in the back of his mind.

"Oh, I think I'll find a way." He replied, easing himself up before heading for the door. He had a lot of work to do…

"Oi, Phones!" Mr. H's shout stopped him in his tracks. "Don't get yourself killed, yeah? Josh isn't as sane as you think he is. He's likely to react badly." Neku inwardly laughed at both the concern shown and the upcoming chance to show off. This'd throw Mr. H for a loop for sure! So he simply smiled and opened the door- without his hands.

"Don't worry Mr. H! I haven't forgotten everything I learnt in the Game."


	3. Chapter 3

He had no idea what he was doing, really. Neku shifted uncomfortably in his school uniform as he stood in front of Kiryu's front porch, seriously contemplating bailing and finding another was to lure out Joshua into the open when the front door opened.

"Yes? Can I help you?"

Neku froze, completely unprepared for the beautiful woman who opened the door. Well, at least he knew where Joshua got his hair from...

After wasting a few valuable seconds floundering around in a panic he eventually looked who he assumed was Joshua's mother in the eye, took a deep breath, and spoke.

"Er, sorry! My name is Neku Sakuraba, is this where Joshua lives?" The woman's face changed so quickly that he could swear that she'd morphed into an entirely different being. What on earth had he got himself into?

"Did one of the local kids put you up to this?" Her words were sharp and harsh. Joshua's mom was scary. Biting back a stab of fear, Neku forced a startled look onto his face and prayed his acting skills were up to scratch.

"Wha- no! I was friends with Josh in primary school, but then I moved away and since I was in the area I thought..." Neku let the question trail off, before replacing his surprise with calculated worry. "Why? Has something happened to him?"

Suddenly Joshua's mother just looked so tired, her pretty eyes outlined with bags and a deep set unhappiness. Hell, it was a miracle the Noise hadn't found her yet.

"I'm so sorry Neku…my son died a few years ago. The local kids have made a horror story out of it, so I thought…" The woman choked up as she stared at the ground, before startling Neku by flicking her head up and showing no trace of the sorrow that wracked her earlier. "Right! Oh, you poor dear, you must be distraught. Why don't you come inside for a while, hmm?" He barely had time to blink before he was ushered through the door.

"Dear! We have a guest! It's one of Joshua's old friends!" Her cheery call was answered with silence. "Oh my…I'm sorry." Mrs. Kiryu flashed Neku an apologetic smile, wavy hair whipping behind her. "He doesn't like to remember Joshua…it's very painful for him."

"I still can't believe he's dead…" this was murmured entirely for his sake, and Neku felt horrible for using her like this. She wasn't acting at all like how Mr. H described. His father was though, and he was already penciled in as a massive prick.

"I know, I didn't want to accept it either, but life goes on." She spoke whimsically, as if Josh's death was but a mere trifle. In her life, Neku supposed it was. He had no idea how long Josh had been dead for after all…

"So come, sit! You must tell me how you knew my son!"

…Shit.

Neku suddenly broke out in a cold sweat as he realized just how little he'd thought this through. He didn't even have a backstory for God's sake! He'd already seen how angry this woman could get. How was he supposed to wing something as important as this? Needless to say, Neku approached the table with trepidation.

"Um…I don't really-"

"Oh, don't be shy! It'll be refreshing to talk to someone who doesn't believe in that silly old rumor." Joshua's mother laughed, regarding Neku with a kind smile. She must really care for Josh…fighting back another stab of guilt, the teen decided to stick as close to the truth as possible.

"Well…he was always smiling, that's for sure." Neku decided to admit the fact that they were more like smirks. "And he was constantly fiddling around with something or another. He had a mobile, right?"

"Yes, we gave him his Dad's old phone quite early on. He'd developed a habit of wandering off without telling us!" Mrs. Kiryu paused to sigh, but her exhale sounded more fond than exasperated. "He would even drag other kids along, the poor dears. He didn't seem to grasp that not everyone was interested in the same stuff he was, though it didn't help that he could usually convince them to like it!" Neku didn't doubt this for an instant. One look at Josh's insistence to drag him absolutely everywhere during the second week was confirmation enough.

"Yeah, that sounds like him."

"Hehe. I remember when my son went through a Tin Pin phase, he bullied other kids into playing against him and they'd leave the match raving fans!" She laughed quietly, gazing absently into the tabletop, as she got lost in her memories. It gave Neku a chance to examine the woman further.

She had Joshua's hair, right down to the ringlets, and the same delicate skin that reminded him of porcelain. Even their eyes were the same. In fact, Mrs. Kiryu looked exactly like a middle-aged female Joshua.

"…Oh, silly me! I'm sorry I didn't mean to daydream. Please continue, Neku dear."

…He could also see where Joshua got the habit of calling him 'Dear'.

"Okay then...erm, what else? He was really picky about food. I remember once that he ate some ramen that tasted horrible and he calmly stood up and slapped the cook across the table. Accused him of crimes against food and everything." Neku found himself grinning at the memory. Sure, it was embarrassing as hell, but the look of absolute distain on Joshua's face and surprised fury on the chefs were so bloody brilliant! The Composer had to drag him out of the restraint when they were forced to leave. He was laughing that hard. It was made all the more hilarious when the place closed down the day afterwards. Take that, Shadow Ramen!

"Really? My, my…" Joshua's mother laughed. "I never knew my son was such a foodie! I do apologize if this caused you any trouble."

"Not at all Mrs. Kiryu. It was rather fun."

And that alone struck Neku as odd. With all the… unpleasant revelations about the second week, why did he still regard it as fun? Hmm, that was something that he would have to ponder about when he wasn't busy deceiving Joshua's mother.

"I'm glad. It's nice to hear that someone has such happy memories of my son…" She trailed off, staring at the table with a ghost of a smile on her face. Finally she looked back up and the resignation Neku saw in her frame sent alarm bells ringing in her head. Nothing good ever came from someone wearing that look…

"May I ask you a favor, Neku dear?"

"Of course."

"Can you never come here again?"

Well, he certainly wasn't expecting that. He almost asked her to clarify until he saw the deadly serious light in her eyes.

"Uh…why?"

"I'm trying to forget Joshua. After you left there were some complications with my son, and I didn't know how to handle it. I still don't. It got to the point that after he died that I…I was relieved." Mrs. Kiryu slipped into a broken smile, her lips wavering. "What kind of mother is relieved their child is dead? That's why…that's why I want to forget. Because if I don't remember him…I won't feel glad that he's gone."

Mrs. Kiryu's logic seemed all too familiar to a certain Composers and Neku was struck with the roundabout correctness of it all. If she forgot, she wouldn't feel guilty. If he took joy in watching others suffer, he wouldn't feel so alone. It was all so crazy it made sense.

"But…why did you let me in at all then?" Neku questioned, glimpsing for the first time what life would've been like for Joshua: all insane logic and panicked decisions. Mrs. Kiryu just smiled faintly at the query.

"I wanted my last memories of Joshua to be happy, to focus on the good rather than the bad. I wasn't able to do that you know. But now…I remember him as the grinning darling he used to be. So, I must ask you to leave so that this new, positive image of my son can sink into my brain and disappear." She paused to study her guest, eyeing him for a few seconds before making her decision and reaching into her pocket.

"I know I'm asking a lot, so here. This is yours." And with that she brought out a beautiful bronze pocket watch. Neku's breath caught in his throat and he knew, in the same way that certain people in 104 caught his eye and he just knew that they were players, that this was Joshua's entry fee.

"It was incredibly precious to him, and I hope it can make up for his life you missed. Joshua couldn't sleep without it…" Mrs. Kiryu seemed to confirm his observations, her eyes glazing over slightly before she shook it off and shoved the forgotten entry fee into Neku's eager hands.

"I'm sorry Neku dear, but I'm going to ask you to leave now."

He just nodded absently, focusing all his attention on the bronze piece cradled in his palms. He'd done it…he'd done it! Neku barely noticed as he was ushered to the door and it was only as it was closing behind him that he realized he was missing one vital piece of information.

"Wait!" He fumbled out, desperately willing the door to open and breathing a sigh of relief when it hesitated in its relentless retreat. "Please, one more thing. I want to visit Joshua's grave."

Neku's unspoken question was met with silence before a tiny voice answered sounding gloomy and so very tired.

"He's at Shibuya graveyard, row E. Goodbye, Neku."

With that the door clicked shut, leaving the teen staring at empty space. One hand was clutched tightly around the pocket watch with its soothing tick-tick his only companion in the silence.

"Thank you, Mrs. Kiryu. Goodbye." Neku's farewell lingered behind him as he strode back into the Scramble, determination in his eyes as the crowd immediately swallowed him. He had a friend to visit in row E.


	4. Chapter 4

Joshua hovered over his old house, dispersing the last of the Noise with a precise wave of his hand. That took care of one chore. He didn't know why he still bothered. It's not like he held any attachment to the woman he once called 'mother.' Old habits die hard he supposed. So even though he was so desperate to forget his spell in the RG, Joshua still showed up once a month and erased the Noise that latched onto the woman who gave him life…and helped drive him out of it, but that was a moot point.

He breezed past their window sparing a disinterested glance for his biological father. Sitting at his desk, as always. Numerous bottles littered the space around his office and while Joshua was once too young to understand he now fully comprehended his father's sudden withdrawal. Seems like nothing had changed since he'd left as it had been every time the Composer had bothered to drop by. Satisfied and feeling strangely bitter with their lack of change, Joshua floated off suspended by the song of Shibuya. He supposed that it was rather ironic that his parents own unchanging misery was a vital component in Shibuya's rhythm section…

A sudden riff caught the Composer by surprise, the deep, relaxing notes something he hadn't heard since-

Neku.

But what on earth was his Proxy doing? His house was on the other side of Shibuya. He had no reason to come all the way out here. He couldn't possibly be visiting a friend. They all lived in the more central areas, so why?

Joshua bit his tongue as he zoned in on the soothing melody, trying to locate its source so he could avoid it. Dealing with Neku was frustrating. It was much easier to just ignore him and his constant waiting…waiting for someone who was never going to come. Honestly, he thought Neku would've moved on by now. He'd made it very clear he wasn't showing up...yet his Proxy still sat at Hachiko, his head bobbing slightly to his music. Joshua used to watch him. He used to sit, invisible, next to Neku, indulging his selfish need for company until he realized he was actually feeling guilty for leaving him alone. Imagine that, the Composer pining over a tool! So now he went out of his was to avoid his ex-partner and whenever he heard those familiar calming notes on the score of Shibuya he'd whisk himself off into the sky.

The sounds were unusually hard to pin down, which was odd considering they hadn't moved since he noticed them. What human could stand completely still for that period of time? Not Neku…that's for sure. Curiosity started to gnaw at the back of Joshua's mind as the notes twisted around him, almost as if they were luring the Composer onwards. What was truly troubling was that Joshua was strangely okay with indulging it. He did miss screwing around with his Proxy, after all...and he was mildly interested in his sudden appearance outside of the few sectors he frequented.

Joshua sighed and grudgingly nodded at the notes drifting lazily around him, his signal to himself that yes, he was going to check this mysterious Neku-related disturbance and yes, he was probably making a stupid decision. With this now settled firmly in his mind, Joshua floated off in search of Neku.

He had not expected this.

Joshua stared numbly at the slab of concrete and the name, his name, engraved into its weathered surface. Why...why was the signal here?! Neku was nowhere to be seen in this silent graveyard, the only splash of color was the stark white of the envelope laid under his headstone.

The Composer did nothing else but stare, unable to comprehend (or maybe just unwilling to) why on earth he hadn't bolted out of here yet. He hated it here. Joshua prided himself on not truly hating anything, but this was the exception to his rule. Everything that happened here was linked to tears, from his body being slowly lowered into the ground. The only one upset was himself as a hand uneasily slipped into his, a weak attempt at comfort mumbled into his hair and the only thought running through his head was I'm going to kill you-

Stop that right now.

Joshua suddenly realized that he was panicking, shudders wracking his small frame as emotions crept up on him. He had to calm down, to breathe because he was okay, he was okay. Memories flooded his mind, his imagination-powered brain bringing them back as vividly as real life and oh God why couldn't he forget! A shaky hand ran jerkily through his hair watching the individual strands fall back into place as he tried to convince himself that the past few seconds weren't a mental breakdown, his old therapist wasn't correct and he was perfectly sane, he was!

"...I need to leave." Joshua muttered to himself, glaring at his palm to stop the trembles. And ever so slowly, it did. A self-satisfied smile spread across his face, he was back in control. He was Yoshiya Kiryu, the all-mighty Composer, and all of Shibuya bent to his will! He almost laughed at his pathetic behavior earlier. A momentary lapse in judgment, he reasoned, a rare moment of insanity. After all, it was just a gravestone…a stupid, crumbling, horrible gravestone that should burn in hell before standing before him. This piece of stone had some nerve! Acting entirely on impulse Joshua flicked his hand forward, sending a shockwave that blew off the top corner of the tombstone and sent it spinning across the yard.

"...Ha..."

Good lord that was so satisfying, so he did it again, and again, blowing bits of stone fare and wide.

"Ha ha...ha! ha ha ha!"

Nobody could stop him, nobody wanted to! The only remnant of himself in the RG was being smashed to smithereens and nobody cared! Oh, it was so bloody brilliant. A particularly vengeful wave upwards saw the stone exploding, bits of rubble flying everywhere and leaving a thin ditch in its wake. He was so close to destroying this place, and he advanced on the ruins with a broad smile on his face and-

What on earth was he doing?

Joshua yanked his hand back, clutching it close to his chest as he stared at the mess he had made of his own grave. No no no, he thought he was past this. He is past this. So why had he gone on a rampage? Stupid, Joshua, stupid. Now he'd have to fix this, lest someone asked questions. The Composer sighed and gestured at the pieces to come together, no trace of emotion on his face except boredom. This was such a pain...

Ugh, and this was why he should think logically. If he'd followed through on his rational thoughts he wouldn't be here, but noooo! He had to chase after Neku. Joshua wrinkled his nose in distaste as the rubble clicked together, rebuilding his headstone bit by bit behind him and unearthing the envelope he'd only vaguely noticed earlier. Come to think of it, he didn't remember anyone leaving any letters.

A sneaking suspicion bloomed in the corner of his mind, and one check of Shibuya's musical score confirmed his theory. The letter hummed with Neku's resonance. Well then...what was he supposed to do with this now?

It really shouldn't be a problem; he'd already agreed to tell the small part of him that cried out to open it to go fuck itself. But he'd already come all this way, it'd just be a colossal waste of time if he left empty handed. And how on earth had Neku managed to replicate his resonance? There were ways, but the teen shouldn't have access to any of them. In fact, that alone should classify this letter as a security breach and his duty as Composer meant he had to take it.

So Joshua resigned himself to his fate, ignoring the smug little voice that pointed out that he'd just reasoned himself into opening it and tore it open with as little interest as he could muster. Might as well get this over with…

_**Dear Joshua (because I know it's you, don't lie),** _

_**I'd ask how you've been, but I know you. So I'll just assume that you're smug, giggling and plotting some new way to bring doom on us all. Oh, and I'll just get this out of the way. Thank Mr. H for my replicated resonance.** _

_**I'll just get straight to the point. I missed you. Stupid, I know, but I did. I still do. So I went looking for you. You're an asshole, by the way, for not saying hi at Hachiko when I know you were there. It's kinda why I kept waiting. Did you know I can sense when something's from the UG? Normally it only works if I can see it in the Real Ground, but when someone with a vibe as high as yours comes and sits down next to me it's hard not to notice.** _

Joshua had to pause here as the revelation of 'shit, he knew' hit him like a ton of bricks, and he allowed a slight break in his pride to bury his face in his palm in embarrassment before continuing.

_**I'm getting off topic. Basically, I asked around about you. And I can already picture the smug look on your face as you read this, stop it. It's because I consider you a friend, dumbass.** _

Another pause because Neku considered him a friend?! After all the hell he put him through... Joshua took up the letter with sudden, frenzied desperation, all attempts at nonchalance thrown to the wind.

_**So I found out. I talked to Mr. H, and to your Mother. But I'm not going to dwell on it, you know why? Because screw you. I'd figured it out from almost the moment we'd met, but you went out of your way to mess with it. All I did during my search was confirm what I thought I knew. So while half of me wants to tear into you for being a dick, the other half completely understands your reasoning. After all, I felt the same way myself. But God knows how long it took me to realize and get over it (three weeks in a deadly game, in fact), so I don't think I can rely on implications to help me here.** _

_**Fine. Here we go, with a little added flavor from my investigation. I'm not like your other Partner. You've backstabbed me twice, I'm still alive and I'm gunning after you, Josh. Stop running away. I'm not out to hurt you, and for some stupid reason I don't think you're actually out to hurt me. I'm just somebody that you've become attached to, a weakness. Isn't that right? You're damn scared that I'll end up hurting you, or worse, that you'll end up hurting me. So you want me gone.** _

_**Here's where I'd like to say that its stupid reasoning and that you're an idiot for thinking so, but I can't really talk about that. So I'll just repeat: Stop running away. Do I need to repeat it? I miss you. You freaking killed me twice and I still miss you, I doubt there's anything you can do to make me hate you after that. I'll say it again, because I think you need to hear it.** _

_**I** _

_**miss** _

_**you.** _

_**Do you get it yet? You're not gonna hurt anyone by existing, so for the love of all that is holy get your ass over here. Being alone sucks, I should know. So stop choosing to be.** _

_**Anyway, I'm running out of paper to write this on, so I'll wrap this up the same way I did when the game first ended. I may not have forgiven you, but I still trust you. And now I'm that much closer to forgiving you. I'm meeting with my friends today in front of Hachiko. See you there?** _

_**Neku Sakuraba** _

_**PS: I got you something. I had to go through a bunch of shit to get it, so you better be bloody grateful.** _

Joshua gripped the paper until his knuckles turned white, the implications flooding him like a dizzying tidal wave. He...he knew. Neku  _ **-fucking-**_ Sakuraba knew everything and had dug straight into his core, casually poking his self-built walls. And, and he...

_**I miss you. So stop running.** _

Reality seemed to shatter around him as every emotion he'd carefully stored away crashed headlong into Joshua, feeling happy-sad-lonely-miserable-mad-desperate-trapped-jealous-annoyed-

Happy that Neku waited, somebody wanted to stay with him, sad that he knew Neku had to go, lonely because he had to stay by himself no matter what, miserable because-

Stop-stop-STOP!

Hands bunched up in his hair as he tried to calm down, to seal everything back away because he didn't want to feel, he didn't want to feel! Emotions just hurt because everyone left; everyone ran away and left him with feelings that burnt because they were gone. That's why the letter hurt. It was hot to the touch because ultimately Neku would stop waiting, which was what Joshua wanted except that he really didn't and ARGH!

Joshua hadn't even realized that he'd thrown the letter, but the paper and its envelope were sailing through the air and wait, what on earth was falling out of it? A flash of bronze was all he saw before it thumped into the dirt, creating a little hole. Joshua didn't know why he went for it, it was stupid and only meant more chaos but he reached for it anyway. When he pulled it out, heard the familiar tick-tock and felt the soothing curves of his old entry fee his breath stopped. No...surely not. Surely Neku wouldn't go to such lengths to...

_**I miss you.** _

Suddenly Joshua wasn't the Composer anymore. He was a scared little twelve year old who saw things that weren't there but this time someone was reaching out to him, offering to provide the company he'd craved since the day he was diagnosed. It was all too much.

Did...did Neku know what Joshua did to the last people who got close to him? He killed them. He killed all of them. Everything hurt. They were all going to betray him anyway with their false interest that faded as soon as he was in trouble, so he stopped them from hurting him. With a bullet. But he was stupid. He couldn't stop himself getting attached so either way it was painful, so painful! Wasn't...wasn't it easier to just ignore them? To laugh at their pain and not get involved? To giggle at the blood, because it was what they deserved! So why...why wouldn't Neku let him do that?

He wasn't supposed to care for Neku. He was supposed to use him before disposing him with a swift shot to the head. He had it all planned out, and then he could destroy this city filled with people wearing masks, only pretending to give a damn. But Neku... he wasn't supposed to be so similar. He was supposed to be some preppy brat that Joshua could happily plug full of lead and skip away smiling. He tried to kill him, he really did. But was this happened when he let dear people live? They came back and wouldn't leave him alone, pestering him and making him feel even more hurt?

**So why don't you just kill him for good?**

Joshua froze as the thought drifted lazily through his mind, curling around his head as he stared at his hand. That...that was what was wrong. This whole thing, the violent attack of feelings that he had tried so hard to seal away, was all because Neku was alive. If he died, would this stop? If he wasn't here to chase, then Joshua couldn't feel guilty. Neku, as a person, hurt. So he had to die.

Almost instantly Joshua shut down, that one thought becoming his tool to bottle up all the loneliness and redirect it as the much more familiar hate. The shudders stopped as he slowly rose to his feel, face blank except for a glint of feral malice in his eyes.

"Hee hee... Oh Neku, dear, you're so silly. Now I have to kill you." The eerie giggle was accompanied by Joshua's gun being slid out of his pocket. The metallic sheen of the barrel glinting just like his old pocket watch. Had he snapped? Yes, and it made plugging his old proxy full of lead far easier. Should he shoot him in front of his friends? It would be amusing to see Neku dear's face when he heard the anguished cries of his partners... And then, once he was dead, Joshua would erase him in the game by drowning him in Noise. Oh yes, this was sounding more appealing by the minute.

With a grin that shouldn't be seen on any sane person's face Joshua strolled out of the graveyard with his head held high. Well, he couldn't keep Neku dear waiting! He had a date with his gun, after all.


	5. Chapter 5

Neku slid through the door to the Wildkat café laughing as Beat's angry shouts slowly gained on him. It was about time that he beat his friend in a race! Of course, now that he'd won Beat would make up some excuse, but it didn't really matter. Neku's training had paid off!

"…Phones! Not…not cool, yo!" Beat huffed as he leant on the doorframe, his voice an octave higher than usual.

"You're just sore that I beat you."

"You kicked me in the junk and ran! How's that fair, yo?"

"Tactics, Beat, tactics."

"I still say it's cheatin'! Rhyme, back me up here! That's cheatin', right?"

Rhyme responded to her brother's plea with a breathless giggle, catching up to the boys with a fond smile.

"I dunno Bro, Neku makes a convincing argument."

"Bwaaa! Rhyme! What gives?" Beat cried, flailing at his sister in a vain attempt to change her mind.

"Sorry, I call it like I see it! Neku wins!"

"Hah! Pay up Beat, I won. No more free coffees for you."

The buff teen simply groaned and slouched over to a table, half-heartedly flipping Neku the bird.

"…Shut up, man…"

Of course, Neku was far too busy gloating to pay him much mind. He couldn't wait to tell the girls…speaking of girls, where were they?

"Hey, Rhyme. Where are Shiki and Eri?"

"Oh, they're coming. Can't you hear them outside?"

As she spoke the young blonde led him to the window, flashing him an amused grin as phrases slowly drifted by.

"…So keep moving!"

"Do you know…how hard…it is…to run…IN THESE SHOES?!"

"YES! I had to fight Noise in those boots, so suck it up and run! Everyone's already there by now!"

Yep, they were here alright. Neku had to hide his smile as the girls finally appeared, Shiki almost pushing Eri along as the redhead shrieked in protest.

"Shikiiiii! Stop shoving!"

"Only when you start moving!"

"Evening, girls. Glad you finally decided to grace us with your presence." Neku greeted them with a smirk, ignoring the death glare this earned from Eri. It was too much fun to mess with them, their reactions was always over the top. Sure enough Shiki mimicked her best friends glare, casually pushing up her wire frame glasses.

"Oh shut it Neku, we didn't take that long." She huffed, idly picking at a loose thread on Mr. Mew. "Besides, you're late more often than us! Why, just last week we had to wait half an hour for you to show up!" Neku didn't have an answer to that.

"Yeah, well. I won the race, for once."

The three of them walked to the table where Beat and Rhyme currently sat, Rhyme waving them over with a smile.

"How on earth did you manage that? You're so scrawny!" Eri topped off her blunt surprise by tugging at Neku's shirt, tutting at the lack of flesh she felt before she was batted away. Eri could be kinda weird...but Shiki had assured him that it was just the way Eri was, so he put up with her occasional spurts of odd.

"Oh, thanks. I'm not that skinny..." He mumbled, but by the look on Eri's face he knew she disagreed.

"Hun, you have a figure that I would be jealous of."

"...I'm getting coffee…Mr. H! What kind of barista ignores his customers?" Neku's call was answered with a chuckle behind the counter, Mr. H's hand lazily waving at them.

"Waaaay ahead of ya, Phones. Come'n get it!" But as the teen headed up to get his brew Mr. H leaned forward and casually whispered in his ear.

"So how ya fairing? Did'ja get your hands on Josh's entry fee?" He murmured, and Neku nodded once in response. "Brilliant! Good on ya Phones! I hope ya put it to good use."

That...was what Neku wasn't so sure about. For all he knew Joshua could've just missed it completely! And what if he decided not to read the letter? What if he simply got mad? What if...

"...Phones, please stop makin' that face. It hardly fills a guy with confidence. I had to put my butt on the line to replicate your resonance, the least you can do is look happy about it." Neku hastily wiped the troubled look off his face as he took his coffee, rejoining the others rather gloomily. Dammit, now Mr. H had got him worrying…

"There you are, you cheatin' bastard! Get over here an' explain yourself!"

Ah, blessed distraction. Thank you kindly, Beat. Neku simply smiled at his friend's demand, nerves shoved aside as he sauntered over at a pace deliberately chosen to be irritating.

"What seems to be our issue?"

"Don't gimme that crap, yo! You're gonna admit that you cheated right here!" At least he wasn't the only one amused by Beat's outburst. Shiki was muffling her giggles behind Mr. Mew, Eri wasn't bothering to hide her laughter and even Rhyme was biting back a smile at her brother's antics. With an audience that receptive, it would almost be a shame not to poke fun at the gangster teen's determination.

"Oh really? I don't remember doing anything of the sort. Do explain how I've wronged you." Neku's singsong mockery was almost impossible to miss, but yet Beat flew right over it.

"Eh? You got a short-term memory or somethin'? You kicked me in the junk before takin' off! It hurt, yo!" He almost choked up at the end, like a mourner at a funeral delivering their final speech. Neku, being the insensitive bastard he is, found this hilarious. Beat could be such a pussy at times! He didn't kick him that hard, but yet here Beat was, playing it up like it was world war three.

"Nope, I'm drawing a total blank at that, but I do remember you shrieking like a girl…"

"Th-that was because you kicked me!"

"Do I need to repeat it? Tactics, Daisukenojo dear, tactics."

"Bwaaa! Now you're jus' makin' stuff up…" Beat shouted, slumping at the unsympathetic response he got. "Man…now you sound jus' like Prissy Kid…" His sentence dissolved into a yelp as he was instantly kicked under the table by three different legs.

"Beat! Shut up!" Shiki's hiss was backed up by a killer glare from both Eri and Rhyme, though the best Rhyme could manage was mild disapproval. It amused Neku more than anything else. Odd, considering that usually the mention of his ex-partner made him go silent and brood for a bit. Obviously having a plan could have a wondrous effect on your temperament.

"I'm not that sassy. Hell, I don't know if anyone else could be!" Neku's cheerful statement caused multiple jaws to drop, much to his annoyance. Oh come on, he wasn't that bad…was he? God, he hoped not. The last thing he wanted was the others to think that he was moping over Joshua. Ugh, there was nothing more pathetic. Neku only waited because he knew Joshua would come back, not out of some pining need. He wasn't a kicked puppy! Rhyme must've picked up that he was offended though as she suddenly cut in, smoothly saving the conversation.

"I dunno, Eri can be pretty cutting at times. Did you ever end up apologizing to that poor woman?"

Almost immediately Eri rose to the bait, slapping her palm on the table in outrage.

"I regret nothing! If you're gonna wander around in both J of the M and Wild Boar then you deserve everything that comes to you." She paused her rant to suck in much needed air, letting out a frustrated noise somewhere between a sigh and a growl before launching off again. "Honestly, simply wearing J of the M is bad enough. Blech! It's revolting just to think of it!" Eri emphasized her point with a dramatic gagging motion, ignoring Shiki's muffled laughter behind her and the worried look this earnt from Neku. Shiki only laughed like that when she was plotting something…

"Ooh, watch what you're saying Eri, Neku here's a hardcore J of the M fan. You might wound his hipster pride~"

He was going to strangle Shiki, he really was. His desire to maul her only increased when Eri rounded on him like a wounded bull, eyes glinting with a very dangerous light as she stared him down. God help him.

"What?! Neku! I know you're the least fashion aware out of all of us, but I expect better from you! Ooh, you're poor body…don't worry, Mama Eri's here to save you! I promise I won't let mean ol' Neku defile you ever again!" The last few words were crooned to Neku's abdomen as she latched herself around his waist, sympathetically stroking his hips while shooting their owner a glare that could freeze hell over. At least, she did, before she was shoved off rather quickly by a certain creeped out teen. Seriously, who actually did that to people?! Apparently Eri, taking the separation in her stride before whirling around once again. He'll repeat it; he was going to strangle Shiki.

"Honestly…apart from the fact that it's hideously disgusting, J of the M doesn't suit your personality at all. You require something dark! Mysterious! Something that represents your angsty tendencies! Lapin Angelique! I hereby demand that you toss your old wardrobe in favor of bondage coats and ripped trousers!" Eri cried, waving her hands as if she was performing on a stage.

Neku was tempted not to respond to that at all. He liked J of the M, dorky or no. Besides, Lapin Angelique reminded him of a certain pale-haired Composer who used to delight in making him feel awkward by showing up in various Angelique dresses. Speaking of…

"Oi, I'd like you guys to wait with me at Hachiko today." Neku spoke calmly completely ignoring Eri's cry of 'Don't avoid the subject!' in favor of focusing on the others startled expressions. It didn't matter if they came with him really, but…he wanted them there. Now he just had to convince them.

"Huh? You still waitin' on Prissy kid? He's not gonna show up, yo- ouch!" Beat once again dissolved into shouts of pain as his shin was assaulted by a particularly vicious kick from Rhyme. While he appreciated the sentiment, Neku really didn't think Beat could take much more abuse. He was going to end up with a nasty bruise at this rate! Besides, he was fine. Though it would take a miracle to convince Shiki of that, judging by the look she gave him.

"Neku...I know you don't want to think about it, but..."

"Look, I know, okay? But I've been doing some stuff, pulling some strings. I really think he'll show up soon."

Surprisingly enough, Rhyme responded to Neku's admission first.

"I see. Does this have anything to do with your visit to the graveyard?" Her quiet question caught the teen off guard. How the hell did Rhyme find out these things? Said girl simply smiled at him, all warm and knowing. "Okay then. I'll wait with you, but on one condition. I'll stay for one week, but after that you've gotta give up on this relentless chasing. It's not healthy, Neku. Do we have a deal?"

He pondered this for a second before nodding, fully confident that Joshua would show up. And if he didn't, well...Rhyme was probably right. He doubted that there could be anything else he could do to win the Composer over anyway.

"Deal." Neku turned to the rest of his companions, imploring silently with each of them. "How about you guys? Will you come on Rhyme's terms?"

"...All right. But you better drop this constant waiting at the end of the week."

Shiki warned, fiddling with Mr. Mew instead of meeting Neku's gaze. He simply nodded, realizing this was the best he was going to get out of her before turning to Beat.

"Ah man, don't stare at me like that, yo... Fine, I'll come. Though you gotta buy me free coffees again!"

Neku snorted at that. Beat would always find a way to shift the bill, so nothing new there. He'd even started budgeting it in when he worked with his allowance!

"WELL! I, for one, am very excited to meet this kid! He sounds rather fabulous." Eri claimed as she flopped onto Shiki, head resting on her best friends shoulder and arms wrapping around her waist. Of course this was normal for her, so Shiki simply giggled and tilted her head, regarding the redhead fondly.

"Mm, from what I've heard you two would get on swimmingly."

"Wait...if you've never met Prissy Kid, why on earth didja kick me when I brought him up? You don' even know why that's bad, yo!"

Beat's cry was met with a brilliant smile from Eri, auburn hair trailing gently behind her.

"Because everyone else did! It's fun to watch you squirm." Neku laughed softly at this, gazing at his ragtag group in amusement. They were part of the reason he felt safe waiting for Joshua. Because no matter what happened, they were going to be there for him.

"Come on, you lot, Hachiko awaits."


	6. Chapter 6

Hachiko was crowded as always. The crowds of incessant chatter almost drowning out Eri's excitement. Almost. Neku liked her, but it was starting to get on his nerves…she didn't even know Joshua, but wherever Shiki went Eri would follow, and her enthusiasm was catching. He couldn't think of any other reason as to why Beat was as pumped up for this as he was. Currently he was shouting his excitement at Rhyme, the poor dear. Beat in full flight was certainly a sight to behold…though Neku doubted his younger sister appreciated it given she was the one tasked with calming him down. Just throw some food at him, and that would shut him up…Neku tore his thoughts away from Beat's eating habits to scan the crowd once more, feeling a terrible sense of Déjà vu as he searched for something, anything…but nothing was there.

"Dammit…"

"Having second thoughts?" Shiki's quiet question caught him off guard. He wasn't supposed to show his uncertainty; the only reason everyone was here was because he'd been one hundred percent sure that Joshua would show up. While at the time he was firmly convinced, now that he was actually here doubts were gnawing at his mind faster than Eri devouring chocolate. Neku had to fight back a twitch of annoyance at the thought. Damn genetics…there had been many a time where Neku had been stuck with a simple salad while she happily munched on anything she wanted, relying on her high metabolism to figure things out. He certainly wasn't jealous of that though…but seriously what kind of guy was concerned by his weight? Then again his outfit would look terrible if he was pudgy...

"You in there?" Shiki was waving Mr. Mew in Neku's face in a vain attempt to attract her friend's attention, huffing at the glazed look in his eyes. "Argh! Stop spacing out, Neku!" Said boy let out a startled yelp as he was rudely snapped out of his trance by a sudden onslaught from the black cat.

"Get that pig off me!"

"He's not a pig!" The pummeling only intensified, Neku shielding his head from Shiki's fury when suddenly he caught a glimpse of purple out of the corner of his eye.

No way…

His eyes widened as a familiar head of ash-blonde made its way through the masses, stride full of purpose and holy shit he came.

Joshua actually came.

Shiki was quickly forgotten as he scrambled to his feet, trying (but failing) to hold back a massive grin because he came! Yoshiya-fucking-Kiryu was right there in front of him and all Neku wanted to do was hug the bastard. In fact, he stepped forward to do just that when an eerily familiar sound rang out that Neku had heard far too often in his short lifetime.

**Click.**

This was not happening. Joshua was not pointing a loaded gun at him again! Mr. H's warning about Josh reacting badly hit the teen at full force as he stared dumbly down the barrel aimed at him, freezing for a few precious seconds before scrambling for his pocket-

**Bang.**

Neku vaguely heard people screaming, his vision blurring as he poured everything he had through the pin and into stopping the bullet. Thank God Psychokinesis pins worked outside of battle…

Of course, once he'd left the Game his power had dropped significantly, but he'd brought it back to a reasonable level through hours and hours of work and-shit Joshua was shooting again! This time he only slowed the bullet, sidestepping quickly so it sailed harmlessly past him. He hoped it didn't hit anyone behind him, the crowd of civilians falling over each other in their rush to escape as he slowly brought his pin out of his pocket, hand glowing with familiar wisps of power as he tried to call out between bullets.

"Josh! Stop- Shit!" Neku hissed as he reeled back, barely avoiding the projectile. Joshua allowed him no room to breathe, not even looking up as he fired again…and again…and again…was that six shots? It was a six-barrel gun; surely he'd be out of ammunition by now! Cautiously Neku started forward…and had to waste valuable energy stopping the chunk of lead as Josh cocked and fired again. Of course he could screw logic like that, he was the Composer.

The sheer inevitability of his situation was slowly crushing the teen, the screams and cries of people rushing past only adding to his hopelessness. He was going to die. Either through a blunder, or sheer exhaustion (He was already severely drained; maintaining psychs wasn't as easy in the RG), or Joshua losing patience and just killing him instantly…wait…

Why hadn't he killed him already? Why even bother with a gun anyway? Neku spared a glance for his ex-partner, noticing for the first time that he hadn't actually heard Josh speak yet. Hell, he hadn't even seen his face! Something was up, and Neku clung to the vague sense of hope it gave. If something was wrong, then he could fix it. If he fixed it, then maybe Josh wouldn't want to kill him. Okay, the plan was weak, but what else was he supposed to do? Sit and get pumped full of lead?

Neku was forced out of his frenzied planning by a literal hail of bullets, at least twenty of them sailing towards him and the hastily created force wall that pushed back started to waver. This was it, his fourth stint in the Game was imminent…and somehow Neku didn't think he'd be getting out alive of this one. Might as well say goodbye. He glanced over at Shiki, struggling desperately against the force that held her (so that's why Beat hadn't got himself shot yet), and something in his eyes must've shown his despaired acceptance as she instantly started crying, tears dribbling down her face and falling onto Mr. Mew.

Don't go.

Neku let out a bitter smile at the unspoken message; he didn't have much of a choice now did he? So he focused once again on maintaining his Psych, watching as the air around him warped and the bullets slowly crawled forward. Not long now…

**Bang.**

"Why…"

**Bang.**

"Won't…"

**Bang.**

"You…"

Neku's head snapped up as he finally registered to muttered words, staring over at Joshua as the final shot was fired.

**Bang.**

"DIE!"

The psych shattered around him, the air warping into pretty patterns as it dissolved into nothingness and the bullet buried itself into his shoulder.

"…Aaa…AaAAA…"

Neku quickly shoved his fist into his mouth to stop himself from howling, every shudder agitating the piece of lead and sending additional sparks of pain rushing down his spine and it didn't stop. The last times he'd been shot it was instantaneous and painless or almost painless but this didn't stop. Now he was feeling the pain at full force and oh God he was crying, liquid dripping down his cheeks and why wasn't he dead yet?

He looked up at his attacker through a pain-filled haze, taking in the lowered head, the outstretched gun and the slight tremble in his hands. He recognized that stance. He'd used it himself in his last showdown with Joshua, but difference that time was that he hadn't fired. Slowly his mind pieced together the facts, a cautious sense of hope slowly rising. Josh was shaking, why? Because he was upset. Why had he done that could be upsetting? He shot Neku. Why was that upsetting? Because he cared. How did he know Josh cared? Because he was still alive. And if he was alive, he still had a chance to fix this.

Neku staggered to his feet, wincing both at the flares of agony this created and at the tears that still flowed down his cheeks. He told himself to stop showing weakness. In this situation crying won't solve anything. Surprisingly his eyes obeyed him, allowing him a clear look at the Composer. His shaking was more obvious now, as odd as Joshua trembling seemed and he just looked so unlike his usual smug self that Neku actually asked the stupid question cooked up in his pain-deluded mind. Did he say asked? He meant blurted out without thinking.

"Why haven't you killed me, Joshua?"

Almost immediately several anguished shouts erupted from his friends, yelling at him to shut it, don't give him any ideas! Neku himself was starting to panic, regretting the words as soon as they left his mouth because really, what on earth was he trying to achieve? It was like all common sense had thrown up its hands and given up on him, leaving the teen feeling disoriented and slow. The giggle Josh sent his way only reinforced this idiotic feeling. He sounded so calm. Neku expected something different, a reaction that was a bit more…human. Through this Neku was shoved face to face with his true fear, the real reason he was so frantic.

Did he actually know Joshua?

As soon as it hit him he had to struggle to hold back a wave of panic; becoming consciously aware of his insecurity had thrown him for a loop. The very idea was absurd, of course he knew him! They were partners, after all…but if that was true, why was he being shot at?

"Trust me Neku Dear, I will. It's just so much more fun to watch you squirm."

Joshua's threat sounded so nonchalant, spurring on Neku's spiraling thoughts into true panic. Oh God, he was going to die. He'd thought that before, but now it truly hit home that there wasn't going to be the Game waiting for him afterwards, no mad rush through Shibuya that he'd just barely struggle through, this was it. He was shaking, shudders rushing through him and sparking more pain from his shoulder as he stared balefully at his attacker through eyes turned fuzzy with panic. He didn't want to die…he didn't want to die! Neku's eyes squeezed shut, a vain attempt to fight off the fear and to think, not just wallow in the welcoming hopelessness that was swamping him.

Joshua's voice sounded deadly calm and composed. Yet he was violently shaking and still hadn't killed him. Why? What was going on? And like a moment from inspiration only found in corny movies Neku suddenly remembered a moment from before the Game, an old friend violently shouting at him in anger. He remembered the way his own voice had operated on an entirely different wavelength to how he was feeling, sounding oh-so spiteful while inside he was a wreck. And he remembered how he had to hide his hands because they wouldn't stop shaking, linked to his emotions in a way that his voice wasn't.

What if…what if Joshua was doing the same thing? If he was, then Neku's best bet was what he himself had secretly wanted in that faraway moment locked in grief at his friend's passing. A friend that would value him enough to push past the mask and tell him it was okay. With this in mind, Neku steeled himself and stepped forward. Instantly Joshua tensed all trembles ceasing as he stared at the teen for the first time through this whole encounter.

"Don't you take another step or I'll put a bullet through your pretty little head." He snapped, a slight undertone entering his voice as he reloaded, the loud click ringing through the square. All pedestrians had fled at this point, nobody brave enough to interfere with the skinny teen wielding a gun and a psychotic smile. Neku didn't blame them. The only reason Shiki, Eri, Beat and Rhyme were still around was that Joshua had frozen them there, probably as spectators to his supposed death. So the teen stepped forward again, stating what he desperately hoped to be true while attempting to keep his voice steady.

"You can't kill me."

"Want to bet on it?"

"You can't."

Another step, each movement sending a jolt of pain from his shoulder as Neku moved closer to the other boy. God it hurt…and the blood dribbling down his arm wasn't exactly comfortable. But yet he kept moving forward, noting with mild amusement that he was probably proving Shiki's point about him being too attached.

"Stay back." He was getting closer to the Composer now, and it was obviously having an effect as an edge of desperation started to claw into Joshua's voice, the teen visibly shifting back slightly with every step Neku took. The irony of this didn't go unnoticed by the teen that should've been doing the backing away in this encounter, but yet here he was advancing.

Neku's nerve wasn't going to hold out much longer at this rate, so he picked up the pace as he spoke with a confidence he certainly didn't feel.

"You can't shoot me. Know why?"

"Stop it..."

"Because you're scared."

"Don't come any closer!"

"You're scared of losing me."

Neku was running flat out now, charging at Joshua in a final, violent bid to get at the Composer. He'd be given one last chance; he wasn't going to waste it!

"You're scared of being hurt."

"Shut UP!"

"You're scared because if I die you'll lose the one person who wants you here, but your attachment is terrifying as it leaves you vulnerable to me, so you want me gone to get rid of that feeling."

"ENOUGH!"

There was visible panic in Joshua's eyes now, and the sight of it caused something to stir deep within the ex-player. He…wanted to protect Josh, as crazy as it sounded. This was the only thought racing through his mind as he tackled the slight teen in front of him, wrapping him in a hug as he whispered the words that Joshua so desperately wanted to hear.

"I missed you."

Neku barely registered the sound of the gun clattering to the ground, entirely focused on his friend in his arms as the all-powerful ruler of Shibuya started shaking. It wasn't much, mind, but for once both Joshua's voice and actions matched up.

"I…"

Neku simply smiled, ignoring his screaming shoulder as he repeated that one phrase, each repetition affecting the Composer like a physical blow. He'd missed him. God, how he'd missed him! A strange bubbly sensation started fluttering around his chest and just this once, Neku indulged it. So he squeezed Joshua tighter, forgetting about the sudden dampness on his shoulder and the hands clawing at his back in a strange mix of desperation, joy and fear, and instead bit back a laugh as he heard the tick-tock of a certain pocket watch from under Josh's shirt. So he'd found it after all.

"I see you found my gift."

"…Shut it…it was mine to begin with." Joshua seemed a bit calmer now, no longer scraping down Neku's back and the trembles stilling. He didn't try to get out of the hug though. Neku doubted he'd let Josh wriggle his way out of it either. Of course, he only thought that until his shoulder exploded in pain due to a particularly well-aimed poke from Joshua.

"Sh-! Do you mind?!" Neku wheezed out, hissing as a finger wormed its way into the wound. Bloody hell that hurt! He only received a mildly annoyed glare from the Composer for his trouble though, looking far more like himself than earlier.

"Oh, suck it up Dear. Or would you rather leave it in?" Josh left no room for argument as he delicately plucked the bullet from his flesh, relinquishing its hold with a vile squishy sound doubled up with a wave of agony. Neku almost howled again, chomping down on his tongue with such force that the metallic taste of blood welled up. How on earth was this better?! He was seriously considering biting the Composers head off until a gentle warmth engulfed his shoulder, a keening tune warbling out from- was Joshua singing?

Neku watched in amazement as wordless notes floated out of the Composers mouth, hitting his shoulder with a slight fizzing sound and holy shit Josh's pupils had disappeared! That was just downright terrifying.

It got to the point that he couldn't look in those glazed eyes, the sight of blank violet making him squeamish. He was so distracted by it that he didn't notice his pain levels receding, his own flesh weaving over itself in time to the song until there was no sign of the lead that was once wedged in there.

Neku only became aware once the tune drifted into nothing, blinking as he rotated his shoulder without it screaming in protest. So now Joshua can heal people with his voice. Why on earth did he only choose to reveal this now? It would've been so useful during the second week! Said boy's eyes slowly returned to their normal state, and for a split second he saw a strange mix of guilt and gratitude in those violet orbs.

No words were spoken, Neku enthralled with the seer openness of the emotions shown and Josh too wrapped up in his haze to do much. Of course then the ex-player had to go and speak, shattering the moment into tiny pieces.

"Hey...thanks." As soon as the words left his mouth Joshua snapped out of whatever trance he'd put himself in, replacing any feelings with his normal mask of mild amusement. Damn. Why couldn't he keep his mouth shut? Josh was surprisingly warm...

"Really Dear, I don't think you should be grateful that I shot you. Unless you're secretly into that kind of thing." The Composer had completely recovered, speaking in that gentle mocking tone he was so fond of. Ah, friendly bitching. Now they were back in familiar territory.

"I meant for healing my shoulder, obviously your vapid little brain is more broken than usual."

"Hee hee~" Joshua's enjoyment quickly turned to annoyance though when he noticed red stains all over his poor shirt. "Ugh. Think you can contain your bodily fluids from leaking all over me?"

"Oh, of course. Next time you shoot me I'll make sure to direct my blood elsewhere." Neku replied smoothly, glancing at the forgotten weapon before grabbing it and handing it back to its owner. The look on Joshua's face was totally worth any future shootings.

"Are you serious?"

"It's yours, isn't it?"

"Are you asking me to shoot you again?" The pure confusion on Joshua's face was...kinda cute, actually. Neku just rolled with it, smiling slightly before shoving the gun into his hands.

"Nah. I just trust you not to kill me, like I do with all my friends. Now come on." And with that Neku spun on his heel and strode towards the frozen group, biting back a smile at the footsteps that hesitated, and then followed.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun fact. Chapter 6 and 7 were my favorite chapters that Laura wrote and I gushed whenever I read it because of how emotional it is. (I find chapter 9 great too). The foreshadowing is in all the chapters that I got to make a mental note of in future chapters.

Neku idly played with the cutlery on the table, letting the chatter of his friends wash over him in a relaxing wave. His chin rested on the tabletop as he gazed at nothing, lost in a rare moment of self-reflection. He didn't get many of these now. Everything was always so busy, so swamping. There was only so much exited frenzy he could take! So occasionally, when things became too much, he'd withdraw and simply become an observer. It used to scare people; friends shuffling away as Neku suddenly ceased to talk and just stared with an odd half-smile. However after many explanations (and a few terrified punches from Beat) his friends finally seemed to just roll with it, taking his silence in their stride. They didn't ask questions either, which was good. Like hell he'd tell them that his 'brooding' was actually him being all sappy.

…What?! He was attached to his friends. So sue him. At least that's how he wanted to think, but the stifling embarrassment and disgust swelled up as it always did when he thought something so sugar sweet. Sometimes he made himself feel like throwing up. When did he get so soft? He was just being…fascinated…that was it! And you had to admit, his friends reactions to Joshua were indeed fascinating.

You'd never guess that the smirking ash-blonde currently chatting away had shot at them yesterday. Well, technically he'd only shot at Neku, but it still didn't explain why Shiki and the others were being so civil. Not that he was disappointed, but shouldn't they be more…upset? Bitter? Even scared? Instead they were all showing varying degrees of acceptance. Except Beat. He was just being downright hostile. But he hadn't thrown any punches yet, so Neku would count his blessings as they came.

Neku exhaled, air escaping in a whoosh as he watched the facial expressions of the small group. It was rather like piecing together a puzzle. It was amazing what you could find out about conversations through their bodies…Neku used to do this all the time, back when he was practically a hermit and needed to find out about people without actually talking to them. Old habits die hard, he supposed. It didn't change the fact that his hobby of people-watching had taken on a strangely relaxing quality, focusing once again on his friends with a slight smile.

Shiki was the first to attract his attention, pushing up her glasses while wearing such a grin. The sweet girl was happily talking with the others, wearing the same kind look she always did. However she wasn't as comfortable as she let on, Neku's appraising eye quickly picking up her occasional defensive fidgets. Little tics; a downward glance, a particularly tight squeeze of Mr. Mew, glasses getting adjusted rather than just shoved up her face…each one showed just how careful Shiki was being. So she was being friendly, but wasn't willing to completely open up like she would normally. Neku didn't think he could ask much more from his friend in a situation like this. Hell, if she could find it in her heart to forgive Neku's attempted murder on the second day, he was pretty sure she'd forgive Joshua eventually.

Rhymes face was…interesting. She was acting the most like herself out of everyone, but yet she was the most shut down. She was quietly listening, injecting good-natured comments occasionally, but was coming off strangely firm. Everything about her screamed 'I'm willing to trust you, but I don't', and her general kind-heartedness only seemed to emphasize this. Neku tilted his head slightly to regard her. He didn't understand Rhyme…okay…he didn't understand most people, but still. They were close, and he'd learnt to understand his other friends after a while, but she still managed to throw him for a loop. For such a straightforward person, she was oddly confusing. Better move on before he got stuck contemplating her personality again.

Eyes scanned from her to Beat, resting for just an instant before moving on. He didn't even bother with Beat; he was far too openly hostile to Joshua to be hiding anything. It wasn't much fun analyzing if there was no skill involved. He wasn't even making an effort to be nice. Actually Neku wasn't even being fair. Beat was doing a damn good job, given his reaction yesterday…

* * *

Shiki slumped to the ground with a gasp, the invisible restraints that held her there dissolving as she fell to her knees. Her shoulders shook, as tears dribbled down her face, sobs not stopping even as she hit the pavement. Neku was there in an instant, murmuring reassurances as trembling hands ran over his face, cupped his cheeks, confirming to the distraught girl that he was okay, he was okay…

Another thump of legs giving out and suddenly Eri was there, clinging to both of them in such a violently protective movement that it made Neku blink. This wasn't like the Eri he knew. Had he…had he really scared all of them that much?

A quick glance over his shoulder revealed Joshua releasing Rhyme with a snap of his fingers, smirking in return to the utterly weary, disappointed look she gave him. It actually caused Neku to double take. That wasn't disappointment, oh no, it looked like Rhyme had actually given up all hope in Josh. Which made no sense; the girl hadn't known Joshua before this, so why on earth would she have hopes in him? It didn't change the fact that it was there, shown quite clearly on Rhymes face as Josh turned to release his final captive.

Beat hit the ground with a much larger bang than the others, checking his fist before taking a roundhouse swing at the Composer. Neku realized what was happening just a little too late, dragging himself out of Eri's death grip to try and prevent both of them from doing something they'd regret, but he reacted too slowly. All he could do was watch as Joshua's lips twitched up into a feral smirk, Beat's fist halting mere millimeters from his face as the Composers power restrained him once again. Neku could only pray that he'd stop there, but the ash blonde let out an infuriating giggle and smiled, the kind of smile that should seem fine but screamed malicious glee before mentally shoving Beat back onto the pavement. Shit, he should've seen this coming. There was no way Joshua was completely in control after an explosion like that! Neku bolted up to interfere, to cut off this brewing fight before it could get any worse, but Rhyme beat him to it.

"Beat."

"Don' use that tone with me, yo! This bastard tried to-!"

"Beat. Stop."

"Like hell I-"

"YOU CAN'T WIN THIS, BEAT!"

At this point everyone turned and stared, jaws hitting the pavement because had Rhyme seriously just yelled?! She was always so patient, so kind, approaching her brother's shortcomings with amusement rather than annoyance. The poor girl was glaring straight at Beat, a slight tremble in her frame.

"Beat, please, stop. I don't want… I don't want you to get hurt…"

Oh hell, Rhyme was this close to crying, eyes glistening with bottled-up tears as she let slip just how truly shaken she was. It finally drove home to Neku just how much his friends valued him. Did he really have the right to scare them that much? Could he be that selfish?

Beat stared at his sister for a bit, a thousand emotions flashing in his eyes before he averted his gaze, a show of unwilling agreement. It calmed Rhyme right down though, flashing her brother a weak smile before straightening up and addressing Joshua over her shoulder.

"You can release him now."

It was almost an order, and Neku internally panicked at the oddly serious expression on the Composers face.

"…"

Joshua wasn't saying anything, his intense gaze fixed on Rhyme as if he was honestly weighing up the complications of placing a bullet through her skull. Neku found himself whispering a prayer under his breath to any deities that might be listening; would it hurt to have something go his way for once? His mutter was answered by Josh smirking and Beat collapsing in a heap before him, but that wasn't the interesting bit. No, what truly stood out was the odd little half-smile he shot Rhyme, displaying both amusement and morbid curiosity. What on earth…

Neku recognized that grin…he knew it well. That was the look Joshua flashed whenever Neku refused to blindly obey early in the second week. Trying not to think about whether that was a good thing or not, his thoughts were cut off by Rhymes calm statement.

"…You need help."

Instantly Joshua tensed, all previous interest squashed under the same vicious self-protection that he wore when trying to pump Neku full of lead. It was terrifying. Almost immediately Neku scrambled to his feet, ready to jump in and… do what, exactly? He didn't know, but he'd be damned if he let this get any worse. His fears were unfounded though as Rhyme finished off her sentence, his previous look of intensity melting into a relieved smile. Finally, something was going right.

"And I'm willing to give it to you."

* * *

Neku shook himself out of his reminiscing, scowling into the table at the memories of that rather awkward encounter. He was so glad it was over…If he ever had to face something like that again in his life it'd be too soon. Though knowing Josh, the chance of a repeat performance was unnervingly high. Why couldn't he have friends that were, I don't know, sane? Was that too much to ask? Sighing in recognition of the foul mood he'd put himself in, Neku settled down to observe the centerpiece of the conversation.

Joshua had completely recovered from his little snap yesterday. Violet eyes held the same smug amusement that they always did, the same slouched-yet-confident posture, and the works.

…It pissed Neku off.

Sure, it was good to see that he wasn't an unstable wreck, but it seemed bogus in comparison to the wonderful score of emotions he'd seen the other day. He seemed even more shut down than before, the biting humor he was so fond of holding more nonchalance than genuine amusement. It really, really angered Neku. He went to all this trouble to track him down, the least he could do was be himself! But as much as he grumbled, he knew he was only trying to distract himself from what was really bothering him. In truth, the heart of the matter was simple.

Joshua hadn't talked to him at all since yesterday.

Nothing. Nada. Zero. Zip. Zilch. Not a peep from the usually talkative teen, no drawled jabs at Neku's pride, he'd said nothing. In reality there was nothing wrong with Joshua, it was just Neku trying to justify his otherwise childish anger. The fact that he was pissed over something so petty only increased his annoyance but dammit, he hated being ignored! He'd spent a good three years out of public sight, no problems there, but if he wanted your attention you'd better bloody give it to him.

Neku spared a baleful glare for the Composer, fighting back a frustrated twitch as he tossed some remark into the conversation that drew a bark of laughter from Eri.

Freaking.

Eri.

Joshua and Eri got along well. Like, really well. The second they'd started talking they'd clicked, their conversation starting after Eri had lingered outside a Lapin Angelique display. Neku hadn't known her as long as he had the others, but even he could pick up on the obvious delight she had in finding another fashion buddy. Joshua had sealed the deal by earning her a VIP card through a shady trade with Princess K (Neku hadn't been listening, but he heard something about a photo shoot before deliberately zoning out), and their friendship was born. Now they were happily sparking off each other, Eri's flamboyant sense of humor only adding contrast to Joshua's considerably dryer one.

It was obvious that Eri had taken a liking to him. She was even showing him through her sketchbook! Neku had learnt through painful experience that she had to really like you to show you that, with Shiki being the only other to gaze upon its pages. Everything about it pissed Neku off. He should be grateful really, if Eri was open then Shiki would soon follow suit, but…

A particularly loud burst of laughter shook Neku from his brooding, blinking once as everyone tried to stifle their chortles. What on earth had got them all so worked up? Suddenly curious, he rested his head back on the table and zoned into the conversation once again.

"…And then what happened?"

"Hee hee. Well, he tried to hit me several times, but I managed to get him to wear it~"

"No way! Aah, he'd look so fabulous in the doll dress!"

"Why didn't he wear that when he was my partner…"

Neku suddenly snapped to attention as a cold feeling of dread rose, inwardly panicking as he realized just what they were talking about. Surely not. Surely Joshua wouldn't go so far as to…Once look at Beat confirmed his suspicions, the buff teen trying not to laugh and oooh, Josh was so dead.

"Oi! What the hell do you think you're telling them?!" He snapped, pelting sugar cubes over the table at the giggling group. Dammit! He'd tried so hard to hide some of the events in the second week! He didn't need Joshua blabbing them all now! Said teen just chuckled, shielding himself from the sugar storm with a smirk on his face.

"Oh? I'm just telling the others of your delightful exploits in the second week. I can't believe you didn't tell your friends about all the fun we had! For shame, Neku Dear. For Shame."

Eri just nodded sagely in agreement, turning to Neku as Rhyme hid her grin.

"Yeah! I don't know why you hid it. You know we'll never look down on you. And now that we know of your love for dresses, you can come shopping with us!"

Words could not adequately describe Neku's shame and anger right now.

"I AM NOT A CROSSDRESSER!"

"Oh? But you seemed so comfortable when you wore that delightful dress Princess K picked out-"

"THAT WAS FOR THE DEFENSE BOOST DAMMIT." Neku paused to calm down slightly, just enough to formulate a plan of attack. There was no way he was taking this lying down! If anyone was watching they would've noticed the steely glint in his eyes as he pushed himself upwards, looming over the table as Beat hooted in delight.

"Oooh, shits gettin' serious now yo!"

"Shut up, Beat. And that's funny Joshua, I could've sworn I saw you prancing around in various skirts all week."

Instantly the girls were in spectator mode, collectively oohing as Joshua smirked and rose to the challenge. The saddest part was deep down Neku was just happy that Josh was finally speaking to him. Lord he was pathetic sometimes.

"Yes, and I looked damn good in them too. Your point is?"

"I just found it hypocritical that you're laughing at me for wearing a dress you forced me into while you wandered around with a stuffed animal."

"M'sieur Lapin was incredibly useful, thank you." Joshua's reply was smooth, but Neku had heard the slight defensive edge in his tone. Biting back a grin and filing the knowledge that Josh was attached to the plushie away for later use, the teen decided to reclaim lost pride by tackling the dress incident once again.

"Besides, I only wore it for a day. Most of my wardrobe is proudly male."

"Oh yes, and filled with le Grand clothes. After all, you visit there so often to rendezvous with your secret boyfriend." Joshua shot back, and the resulting pandemonium drowned out any spluttered denial Neku made. Shiki was making tiny, high-pitched noises in the back of her throat, Eri was howling with laughter, Beat was shouting his confusion to the heavens and Rhyme simply smiled. Of course, Joshua was too smug to say anything, he just sat back and relished in the chaos he made. Neku was seriously revaluating the worth of chasing after him now…

"Oh yes, you're quite popular with that shop clerk. It was a literal flirt fest every time we went in. Neku is quite the charmer, eh Dear?" His amusement was dripping off every syllable. Joshua casually leaned over to deliver a light punch to Neku's arm. He had to retreat quickly though to avoid his hand being bitten off.

"Shut up, you bastard, you know that's not true." Neku snapped back, feeling truly sore at the teasing he was now destined to receive. It was awkward enough to shop there. He didn't need to be harassed outside of it too! At least Josh gave some ground, giggling that infuriating laugh of his before sighing playfully.

"But there's no doubt he likes you. He can barely control himself, poor thing. It must be rough attracting so much attention from older men…"

Everyone else was almost in stitches at this point, driving up Neku's embarrassment levels to untold heights. And when Neku got embarrassed, he got pissed. He was going to shoot that smug son of a bitch down!

"And what about you and Mr. H? If there isn't something pedophilic going on there I don't know what is." He barked, unable to hold back a victorious smirk as the group oohed behind him. If he weren't so busy attacking, he would've picked up on the warning signs and shut up when he had the chance.

"…What did you say?!"

"You heard me. Does it hurt to walk after you spend the night with him?"

"Shut up!"

"Defensive, are we? I don't blame you, you probably throw yourself-"

His taunt was cut off with a particularly vicious-sounding slam, Joshua shoving himself upwards in one violent movement. Violet eyes flashed in anger as they met with Neku's, the air around them quickly turning dangerous.

"Do not talk about Sanae in that way." He hissed, glaring at the ex-player as if to challenge him. Instantly Neku realized that maybe, just maybe he'd crossed some sort of line, and was about to apologize before Joshua spoke again.

"At least I have someone who'd care if I just disappeared for three weeks."

All thoughts of forgiveness were forgotten at the jab about Neku's mom not even being aware that he went missing, she'd been overseas and his dad hadn't managed to get through to her. It shouldn't bother him really, he knew that it wasn't her fault, but obviously some part of him was still sore about it as fury swelled and Neku openly snarled at the pale teen in front of him. How dare he!

Everyone had suddenly gone very quiet, realizing the layer of hell they'd just walked into and shutting up to avoid setting anything off. Not that it counted for much, the boys were perfectly capable of blowing up by themselves.

"At least my father figure doesn't screw me into the mattress."

"At least I don't whore myself out to every shopkeeper I meet."

"At least people don't mistake me for a girl when I walk down the street!"

"At least I can go longer than a day before collapsing into an angsty heap!"

"At least-"

"May I?" Rhyme's quiet interruption threw them both for a loop, the boys turning to her in surprise. By the panicked expression on Beats face the others hadn't set her up for this either, making her strange foolishness all the more puzzling. Rhyme was a sensible girl, why would she stick her nose into a fight?

"Thank you. First, I'd like you both to take a step back and actually realize how horrible you're being to each other." She stated calmly, gently shoving Neku out of his rather threatening position before doing the same to a slightly stunned Joshua. Horrible? Sure, they weren't exactly being nice, but Neku stuck to his reasoning of 'he started it' and so Josh deserved everything he got! Rhyme picked the worst times to butt in, he'd just thought of a really good comeback. What was it? Ah yes, "At least my parents weren't relieved when I died."

…Oh…

…

…Well shit.

Neku was starting to realize what Rhyme was going on about now, his temper quickly cooling as he mentally berated himself for being such an ass. Obviously he'd reached a new level of cattiness if he'd happily blurt out that.

The blonde nodded in satisfaction, obviously happy to get her point across before turning to stare at a certain pale-haired teen, catching his gaze in a very deliberate manner. Eventually Joshua looked away, and Neku swore he saw his fist clench in a minute display of…anger? Regret? It was hard to tell. No matter what it was it seemed to satisfy Rhyme, exhaling in a way that sounded both exasperated and fond as she faced Neku once again.

"Good. Now, I believe joint apologies are in order."

And now he was having serious doubts about Rhyme's sanity.

Hadn't she learnt? Neku never apologized. Ever. With the exemption of the attempted murder of Shiki (cause let's face it, that one was desperately needed), the best anyone ever got was a grumbled 'yeah, well, shit happens'. And that was only when he'd been a jerk unprovoked, definitely not when a certain smug bastard started bitching first. One glance at Joshua was enough to determine that he took a similar stance on the matter, leaving them with a rather awkward atmosphere as both refused to give in. This was going nowhere fast…Neku glanced over at the young blonde, silently imploring her to take back this impossible demand. Maybe she'd forgotten? Looking at the glare he received, Neku was forced to acknowledge that this was very much deliberate. Damn…

Neku fidgeted slightly, palms opening and closing under the table as he mentally squirmed. The thought of saying sorry almost made him want to gag, but there was no denying that he'd been fairly horrid. Joshua looked just as uncomfortable, which should've given him some sense of smug satisfaction, but strangely only made the niggling urge to just man up and say it increased tenfold. Why on earth was this so damn difficult?

The silence stretched on, the awkward shuffling of his friends behind him a constant backdrop to his emotional turmoil. Neku honestly didn't know what to do. He would rather die than go back on his word (which, in his mind, was the definition of apologizing), but he'd worked so hard to get Joshua here, was it really worth throwing it all away? Surprisingly, Joshua broke the silence with such a weary sigh that the mere tone of his voice was enough to make Neku's decision for him.

"Look, it doesn't really matter-"

"…Sorry."

Okay, if apologizing lead to Josh spluttering mid-sentence then Neku was definitely going to make a habit out of it. He could do without the shell-shocked stares from Shiki and co though…Joshua looked blatantly confused; eyes not wavering from Neku's in a way that made him feel oddly pleased with himself. Finally, he had his attention. He'd be damned if he let things get awkward between them again though, so he leaned over the table to lightly thump his friend in the arm.

"Don't worry about it. Though you can make up for everything by shouting drinks."

He was offering him a way out, and the slight curve of the Composers lips showed it hadn't gone unnoticed. So the ash blonde gave a light giggle, smirking in conformation as he delicately replaced the various items that had been upset in their kerfuffle.

"Fine, I guess I can live with that. Though I suppose you moochers are going to want something too, hmm?"

Josh rested one hand on his hip, the other splayed out across his chin as he grinned down on the others. It was so flipping normal for Josh that Neku was hard pressed not to smile back out of relief. An unnoticed tension had eased between them, some odd atmosphere dispersed as Joshua calmly strolled over and wasted no time in making himself comfortable on Neku's shoulders. …Well, it was better than being ignored. It didn't stop him scowling though.

"I'm not one for drinks, buuuuuut…" Eri flashed a wolfish grin at Joshua before continuing. "Tomorrows the big sale at 104! Let's all meet up and go!"

Almost immediately Shiki perked up, ditching her shaken state in favor of squealing excitedly. Rhyme looked satisfied that the fighting had been sorted out, and Beat was, well, Beat.

"Oh hell naw! Leave me outta your prissy shoppin' trip, yo!"

"Oh c'mon, let's go along. If they start getting too 'fashion-y' for your taste we'll go look at video games, okay?"

Beat whooped at his sister's promise, drawing a laugh from both Neku and the pale boy currently invading his personal space in a way he'd grown accustomed to over the second week.

It was nice to finally have all his friends in the same place.


	8. Chapter 8

Neku awoke to the smell of burning. Almost instantly he jumped out of bed ignoring his inner shouts of protest at the sudden chill in favor of bolting down the stairs. He took them two at a time, repeating his mantra of keep calm, keep calm, keep- shit! One misstep sent him crashing down, the noise of his shins hitting the sharp edges of the steps paling in comparison to the string of profanities that escaped the teens mouth. Bloody hell that hurt!

"Good morning to you too, sunshine!" His dad's cheerful greeting wafted from the kitchen, along with suspicious wisps of smoke. Was his dad seriously trying to cook again? He wasn't half bad, if he managed to stay focused. His fears relieved, Neku wandered into the kitchen as his usual case of morning it is set in. He got up early for nothing...

"G'morning. I hope you're aware that you've killed whatever is in that pan over there." He yawned, openly smirking as his dad swore briefly. It was way too easy to distract his old man. Almost anything could drag his attention away from what he was meant to be doing. He called it inspiration, Neku called it daydreaming. Still, the fact that he was so zoned out meant that he'd probably had a really good idea. Perhaps another song?

"So? What caught your attention at this early hour?"

Right on cue his father turned around with a lazy grin, abandoning his attempts to salvage the pan in favor of swaggering over and pounding Neku on the back. Did he mention that his old man was a morning person? And that he wasn't? Neku was seriously tempted to maul him.

"Bacon~"

…Oh God it was too early for this shit.

His Dad must've noticed the furious glare sent his way as his hand removed itself from Neku's back, the smile he wore wavering for a second to look more like a smirk. Please no. Please don't tell him that his father had been doing this deliberately! One look at the far-too-innocent expression on his parents face confirmed his suspicions and he groaned, slamming his head into the table in a vague hope that this was all a dream. He'd wake up and his bastard father wouldn't be messing with him at this unholy hour.

"Heh, sorry kid. It's just too much fun screwing with you." His dad's chuckle was accompanied by a ferocious hair ruffle, turning back to the pan and his attempts to chisel whatever had fused itself with the surface off.

"Besides, I wasn't making anything up. I'm thinking of making a song based on the perfect strip of bacon, tender yet crunchy."

"You sure you're not tripping?"

The sad part was, it was a legitimate question. It was hard to tell with this guy…Neku's father simply laughed at his son's query, dumping a plate of eggs unceremoniously in front of the teen.

"I wonder about that myself sometimes. Lucky for me that I have a harsh critic to keep my ass in line then, eh?" This was asked along with a mischievous wink making Neku roll his eyes. His dad was such a dork! He couldn't help the smile that slipped loose though, simply snorting before shoveling a forkful of food into his mouth. They weren't half bad. Pity the same couldn't be said about the smoldering black lump in the sink…

Neku recognized that he had it pretty good with his dad. He was the one who had fostered Neku's love of music. He'd happily entertained Neku's wild ramblings when he was younger and he was the one who'd taught Neku the simple pleasure of sitting back and just listening. It made him feel all kinds of horrendous for his treatment of his folks over the past three years. He had to fight back a wince at the mere thought of it. 'Grieving' didn't even begin to justify his behavior…it made heading back home after the Game much more terrifying than it should've been. Would they be scared? Upset? Or glad that their son who had mistreated them so horribly had finally gone? Whatever he'd thought, it was definitely not that the door would open to show a disheveled looking father, who stared for a few good seconds before wrapping his son in a bone-crushing hug. He hadn't asked where he'd been, or what had happened to create Neku's drastic change in attitude. He was just happy to have his son back.

Fighting back a sickening wave of sentimentality, Neku focused on forcing food into his mouth to avoid being late. They'd all agreed to meet at 104 far too early for his liking. He couldn't help wondering where Joshua had spent the night though. Maybe he'd crashed at Dead God's Pad? But he hadn't seen a bed there, so…

"Oh yeah, were you at Hachiko two days ago? The media's in an absolute panic."

His dad's word jolted Neku out of his musings. Well duh, of course they'd be all up in a flap! A kid had opened fire in a crowd for God's sake! For a stay at home parent, his father was oddly disconnected. But just before he opened his mouth his dad continued, completely oblivious to the fact that he was about to receive an answer.

"Apparently the whole area just dropped off the map. All security cameras stopped, satellite signals dropped out and all the witnesses' phones have been wiped. If you can even call them witnesses, given that their memories have been wiped too! Not one person can remember what happened during that afternoon in that section of Shibuya. Crazy, huh?" He paused to chuckle, unaware of his son's disbelieving stare. He'd wondered how Josh was going to cover up the shooting but he didn't think he'd do that. Maybe it was stupid but he'd assumed that Joshua would be a bit more…well, stealthy. Not just leave some whopping great hole that could only be explained away by some alien terrorist conspiracy! He was going to have to yell at Josh over this. Might be good to work out some of his latent aggression.

"…That so? I don't remember going in there, but that doesn't count for much." It would've fooled anyone else, but his dad picked up on the lie instantly. He fixed Neku with a hard stare, searching for the truth in his son's eyes, but gave up soon after with a weary shrug.

"Fine, but one of these days you're going to tell me just what happened, okay?" He wasn't talking about just Hachiko. Neku simply nodded, although he secretly dreaded that time. The idea of his dad just dismissing the existence of the Game or deciding that his son had lost it…ugh, no thanks. While it was painful to constantly lie, it was a lot better than the alternatives. Probably wasn't a good idea to tell his father that though.

"Alright. I'm heading out today, the girls have decided to drag us all shopping." Neku mumbled through his mouthful of food, one hand scrabbling for a shirt left on the ground. He could never get away with leaving his clothes on the floor when his mother was about, but when she was overseas it was just two overly relaxed males with the house to themselves. It was awfully convenient though and he wasted no time in yanking his favorite purple vest over his head.

"Mm, okay. Take the key though, I'll be mixing all day and probably won't hear you knock." Neku simply grabbed the keys and jingled them in response, pausing only to struggle on a pair of shorts and slide his signature headphones around his neck. He may not use them to shut people out anymore, but they looked cool, and were a present from…

Moving right along.

Shaking off the rush of depressing emotions, Neku mussed up his bed head even further into its usual haphazard style and left, tossing a wave over his shoulder.

* * *

Joshua was there before him much to his surprise. He thought he'd arrived reasonably early…obviously not. Jogging up to the Composer with a quiet smile on his face, Neku nodded in response to the smirk he received in greeting.

"Morning Dear. You're up rather early I must say."

"This coming from the bloke who beat me here?" Neku snorted, dismissing the question with a flip of his hand. He'd never pegged Josh as a morning person. Yet here he was, giggling irritatingly into his fist.

"Oh, that doesn't count, considering I've been here all night. I just couldn't wait to see you again Dearie~" Joshua's flirty teasing was quickly ignored by Neku, the teen far more alarmed by the nonchalant confession about his sleeping habits.

"Wait, what? Don't you need to, you know, sleep?" Neku found himself growing angrily at his friend, the complete lack of self-preservation rubbing him all the wrong ways. Seriously, who actually spent all night in Shibuya? It was dangerous! And if Joshua had fallen asleep out here…Neku quickly reined his thoughts back into line once he realized how much he sounded like his mother. Joshua, for his part, simply blinked before letting out an oddly amused-yet-relived chuckle. It instantly riled Neku. What the hell was he being so smug about?! Damn, and to think he'd actually been worried about this asshole…

"I'd forgotten, you don't know. As the Composer, I feel no physical requirement to sleep. Same with eating, though I do so enjoy a nice bowl of ramen." Josh emphasized his point with a mischievous smirk, said expression growing wider as the implications finally clicked in Neku's head.

"…! So every time you threw a fit and forced us to stop because you were hungry-"

"Thanks for the food, Dear~"

The Composer outright laughed at the furious look on his ex-partner's face, not bothering to stifle his amusement behind his palm like before. Neku glared daggers at Joshua, inwardly seething at the sudden revelation and seriously tempted to smack him into next week. It felt like every ten minutes in the second week Joshua had dragged them into some restaurant or another claiming he couldn't continue due to hunger pains. Neku's wallet always left feeling significantly lighter after those endeavors, and now he was telling him it was all a big waste of time?! Goddamn Josh pissed him off sometimes. It wasn't like he could do much about it now though, so he just grumbled as he nimbly seated himself on the low wall Joshua had perched himself on. Said boy had finally stopped his giggling fit, snorting once more before turning to regard his companion with a lazy smile as they slipped into comfortable silence.

The weather was rather nice today, rouge clouds drifting aimlessly through an otherwise clear sky. It was a shame they were going to spend it inside a shopping center. Still, knowing Eri, the chances that they'd stay in 104 were slim. They were going to get dragged all over Shibuya…great.

In order to distract himself from the knowledge that his feet were going to be sore as hell after this, Neku let his mind wander to Joshua's statement once more. Come to think of it, it didn't really explain much.

"…Weren't you bored?"

"Hmm?"

"Staying up. Everything's closed at night around here, except for the nightclubs, but you're too young to get in there anyway. There's nothing to do or see. Wasn't it…"

Neku stopped himself before he said lonely. God, what was with him today? He was sounding more like his mum every second! Joshua just hmmmed at him, glancing out at the sky as one hand curled itself under his chin.

"Not really. Shibuya's actually incredibly beautiful at night. Everybody's asleep, so their Vibes are toned down enough to let the city's harmony shine through. It's rather calming." He paused to smirk. "Besides, I'm older than you Dear. Who's to say I wasn't in there tearing up the floor?" The joke (at least, Neku hoped it was a joke) was disregarded in the wake of his curiosity. The concept of Shibuya being a giant song too tantalizing a possibility for music lover Neku to pass up. So the teen shifted slightly, staring out at the same patch of sky Joshua's gaze was fixed upon.

"Explain."

The invitation caused Josh to raise an eyebrow, both miffed that Neku didn't take his bait and skeptical about the sudden interest. His whole expression screamed really? You want to know about that? But when the teen remained silent, Josh sighed and shifted his eyes back to the deep blue stretching above them.

"…Mhmm. You've made it quite clear that you know about how every being emits a Vibe," Joshua had to fight back the urge to flinch, secretly glad that his, erm…habits of waiting with Neku at Hachiko after the game hadn't come up in conversation yet. "And this translates into sound in the higher planes. As the Composer, I can hear and alter those noises, and it's my duty to make sure everything harmonizes reasonably well. Essentially, that tune is the master blueprint for Shibuya. Altering the music in the higher plane directly affects this lower one, and on top of that, there are layers and layers to the song that are constantly shifting."

He couldn't stop the twitch of annoyance at that, the trouble he'd had with some of those elements leaving slightly bitter. So many times had he written that month's sheet music perfectly only to have something change at the last minute and screw everything up…Joshua forced his mind onto happier topics, focusing on Neku once again.

"Anyway. The people themselves are one huge, horribly clashing layer, and if I let it get discordant, riots and fights would break out all over the place." Hoo boy, Joshua remembered the last time he let that happen. It took him ages to right the melody, and while he tried, rioters smashed a good part of the Scramble. Bringing up all these unpleasant experiences was not how he'd planned for today to go. He was going to stop there, but then he made the mistake of looking at Neku. He was so enthralled. Well, a little more couldn't hurt. He didn't want to let his friend down. Fighting back the little thrill that ran through him at the fact that I have friends now, Joshua continued his recount.

"People are by far the nosiest layer. Really, really noisy. It drowns out everything else. Previous Composers have created the equivalent of sheet music for the city itself, so that it won't just dissolve into nothing, but you can barely hear it over the jumble of the people." Joshua paused to shrug, obviously well used to this fact. "It's not really a problem anymore, but sometimes it's nice to hear the constant, dependable tune of Shibuya rather than the shifting scale of its residents."

Neku considered this for a bit, truly fascinated by the concept. The song of the people, huh… It was strangely reminiscent of Shiki's observations in the first week, a clash of creeds screaming out to be heard the loudest, and he found himself nodding in acceptance. It also explained some of Josh's disdain for people in general if he saw them as little more than noise generators. But he seemed to be a bit more accepting now, which sent such an odd sense pride through Neku that he grimaced. Sure, there was no question he had some influence in Joshua's change of heart, but…sighing inwardly, Neku entertained a lazy thought to try and force his ego to behave.

"So then, what do I sound like?" He let the question hang in the air shifting his hands so he could lean a bit further back. The answer came with a surprising lack of hesitation.

"A base guitar, but with a bit of a synth edge. At the moment it's pretty soothing and slow, since you're so relaxed." Neku gave an involuntary start of surprise unaware that he was broadcasting his emotions like that. He really should've known better.

"Oh, it's just upped a tone. Did I surprise you Dear?" He didn't even need to look at Joshua to know he was wearing that shit-eating grin he was so fond of. His amusement was practically dripping off every syllable. Freaking bastard…

"Hee hee, it sped up and become slightly discordant. You're annoyed~" The Composer sang at him, leaning over to pinch his cheek fondly. Oh, he was so asking for it. But he was reluctant to give the other boy any more ammunition via his emotions, so he settled with scowling and batting away the probing fingers.

"You. Stop. Now."

"Aww, you're no fun. But it's rather cute how easy it is to rile you up…"

"Are you asking to be put in a headlock? 'Cause that was practically an invitation."

"Fine, fine~"

The conversation lapsed into silence, Neku too busy nursing his bruised pride to bother talking. Bloody Joshua, now he was all paranoid…and pissed. Though it was a nice heads-up to never play poker with the kid, he'd lose in an instant! He snuck a glare over at his companion, grumbling at the evil grin still lingering there before turning back up to the sky. Where the hell were the others anyway? It had to be close to the meeting time by now. Perhaps they were lost…?

A shifting movement caught Neku's attention and he turned, bearing witness to an odd, but not unpleasant sight.

Joshua was smiling at him.

Oh sure, it carried its usual sarcasm and smug amusement, but it seemed…softer, somehow. More fond than mocking. More like a genuine smile. Neku found himself strangely fascinated, blatantly staring at the expression that seemed so foreign on the Composer's face. It was so weird. He could've happily sat staring at if forever...except that his mouth went running off ahead of his thoughts and blurted out a random question to completely shatter the moment.

"What're you thinking about?"

The question seemed to jar Josh out of his musings, blinking once in a surprisingly open display of disorientation before reverting back to his normal smirk. It never lost its affectionate undertone though. Neku liked it.

"Oh, just listening to your Vibe. It's rather amusing hearing your emotions change."

…Neku changed his mind, Joshua was an ass, and always would be! He let out a spluttered, furious noise in reply, inwardly cursing at his inelegant response but what the hell was he supposed to say to that?! Josh must've picked up on his anger (freaking Composer cheat codes) as he merely chuckled and flopped onto Neku, casually reclining across his shoulders. Something told the teen that he had no concept of personal space.

"Aww, I'm sorry Dear. I'll stop now. Really." He giggled, letting out a contented sigh as the sun hit his back. For once, Neku didn't feel the urge to shove him off. So he simply sighed and sat there just enjoying the company of his friend that he'd poured so much time and effort into. He hadn't felt this relaxed in ages.

"…I wish…"

The words sounded breathy, murmured, like they'd slipped out without any prior knowledge. Neku tilted his head in surprise, not expecting Joshua to say anything. Since when did he speak without thinking? Josh looked just as startled as Neku felt but he covered it well, dissolving into a nonchalant shrug as he continued blithely.

"Oh, nothing. I was just thinking you'd like to hear Shibuya when it rains, each drops sounds like a key on a piano and it plays the most amazing harmonies." He seemed strangely hesitant to voice this, causing Neku raise an eyebrow. He didn't understand why Joshua was reluctant to voice this since it sounded pretty damn cool! But he knew when not to push an issue, so just rolled with the flow of the conversation.

"Mm, I would. Sounds awesome." Another pause, before a cautious reply from the Composer.

"…well, next time it rains I'll come find you, and then we'll listen to it together." That sounded like a promise, and the teen nodded once to hide the squirming ball of excitement in his chest. He shouldn't be so excited over nothing, but… this was the first time that Joshua had reached out to him instead of Neku chasing after. It quelled a hidden fear that this friendship was one-sided after all. It felt…nice. Of course, that quickly died once Neku thought over his invitation once more. Joshua could only hear it because he was connected to a higher plane, and the only way for them both to hear it was if they were both connected. The only way for him to move up planes was…

"Waitaminute- did you just promise to kill me again?!" Neku couldn't believe this bastard! He was far too busy being pissed to notice that Josh blinked once, twice- and then burst out into peals of laughter.

"Oh Nekky, Dear, your lack of faith wounds me! No, you'd simply have to be in contact with me. Though I don't think our relationship is ready for hand-holding just yet~"

The Composer sighed like some love struck maiden, fanning his face in a mocking gesture that left Neku feeling sore. Okay, so he may have jumped to conclusions, but that was no reason to be a bitch about it. He couldn't stop the corner of his lips twitching upwards though.

"Oh, there you two are! Sorry we're late...Eri couldn't find her hat." Shiki huffed, clearly unimpressed with her counterpart as the two girls jogged up to the pair.

It was about time! Neku nodded slightly in greeting while Joshua tossed them a lazy wave, fully comfortable in his position of sprawled over the teen's shoulders. Neku was well used to it, so he hadn't given their arrangement a second thought. It…wasn't the smartest move he ever made.

"My my! Are we interrupting?" Eri sung, putting fingers to her mouth to unleash a piercing whistle. What on earth was she getting at? Her teasing eluded Neku, implied meanings soaring over his head as Josh frowned slightly. He was just as oblivious as he was.

"No. Why would you be?"

Their confusion only deepened when Eri started cackling, Shiki flushing a rosy pink and coughing awkwardly into Mr. Mew. Their reactions were really weird…it was only when Neku noticed the gentle tickle of Joshua's hair against his cheek that it clicked.

"Oh, for the love of- Joshua has no concept of personal space, okay? It means as little as his flirting." He snapped, rapping his companion on the forehead to force him off. Wow, Eri could be immature. Shiki too. He thought they had more self-control than that! Then again, they hadn't had the week of being flopped on with no prior warning…Josh retreated with a pout, obviously miffed at being kicked off his spot.

"Aww. But you're such a comfy pillow…" Mock irritation adorned Joshua's features, clashing with the smile hidden in his voice. Neku wasn't exactly pleased with this arrangement either. He was oddly cold without the Composer's heat. Like hell he would ever admit that though.

"Cry me a river. So, where's Beat and Rhyme?" He addressed Shiki with a much nicer tone than the biting one he shot at Joshua. Well, he couldn't let the girls get the wrong idea…especially if Josh ever flopped on one of them in the future. Shiki blinked owlishly in response, glancing around her in an attempt to both look for the siblings and shake off her blush.

"They aren't here yet? I assumed you'd sent him off to get food or something." She mused, Eri making a sound of agreement. Damn, so they hadn't all come together…oh well. The sun was nice, so it couldn't hurt to relax a bit more. Neku sighed and shuffled over, patting the newly exposed spot with his palm. The unspoken invitation was accepted instantly. Damn, it was kind of squishy on the wall now... It didn't help that Joshua had reclaimed his back the second he looked away. Would it hurt these guys to have some concept of personal space? Shiki just giggled and smiled at him, eyes warm and kind, while Joshua and Eri engaged in friendly bickering over who got to use the 'Nekky pillow'. Perhaps…perhaps this wasn't so uncomfortable after all. Letting out a contented sigh that was violently denied once it was noticed (why Neku, I had no idea you enjoyed my company so much!), Neku settled in to wait in the morning sun.


	9. Chapter 9

The siblings had shown up eventually, Beat spouting excuses and Rhyme looking oddly pissed with her brother. Joshua grinned and made some degrading remark, Eri had cackled and backed him up, Beat exploded, Shiki cowered, and Neku plus Rhyme had wasted valuable energy calming everyone down. In other words, it was business as usual. It was rather sad that normalcy involved a spat five minutes into the day…Neku had to wonder just how his life had gotten so draining. But they'd made it here in the end, the teen weaving through the isles of D+B with a scowl firmly set in place. Why was he so irritated at this early hour? One word: Joshua. Or more specifically: Joshua and Eri.

Eri was a literal bulldozer. She had knocked over about three displays, five racks and one disgruntled shop assistant in her quest for clothes, leaving absolute chaos in her wake. This was not what Neku had a problem with. Neither was the shopkeeper chasing after her with the intent to kill. No, what he had an issue with was how Joshua slid in between Eri and the angry assistant, promptly distracting them while Shiki hastily reset whatever had been destroyed. It irritated him. If she was going to rampage, the least she could do was listen to the lecture she earned afterwards! But as it stood the bubbly teen was gleefully oblivious, skipping through the isles with her best friend in tow.

A loud clang of metal rang out behind him, and Neku fought back the urge to wince at the angry squawk that followed. That made two assistants…right on cue Eri breezed by, and right on cue Joshua waltzed in and struck up a conversation with the livid shopkeeper. Apparently Josh had been bored enough to become besties with every shopkeeper in existence. He'd even managed to become chummy with people he really shouldn't get along with… how he'd managed to befriend the Wild Boar salesman, Neku would never know.

A quick glance to the side confirmed that Shiki was indeed hurriedly placing scattered clothes back on the display, finishing precisely as Joshua waved the much happier assistant on their way. They were so well timed he almost thought they'd rehearsed it.

"Oh, hey Neku. Why are you looking so grumpy? I know shopping isn't really your thing, but…" Shiki trailed off as the Composer strolled over, his permanent half-grin set on his face.

"Why hello there. I hope you don't mind me crashing your party." Shiki nodded all too quickly, betraying her lack of comfort with the situation. Neku knew there was going to be some awkwardness to work through, but she didn't have to be so…obvious about it. It left the teen in a rather uncomfortable and irritated mood. Playing conversationalist was never his strong point, yet if he didn't speak up…

"Oh, Shiki. That's a nice skirt you got there." It was a clumsy topic change, and everyone knew it. Yet Shiki pounced on the chance like she found the newest fashions in a bargain bin.

"Isn't it?" The color and cut is just so cute! I was thinking Eri would look amazing in it, so I kinda picked it up without thinking."

"It'd look better on you."

"E-eh?"

Neku silently cursed Joshua's bluntness as his friend recoiled, eyes fluttering downwards in undeserved shame. Even though her jealousy had been dealt with, Shiki still had a mountain of self-loathing to work through, and Joshua wasn't helping any by complimenting her out of the blue like that! He needed to step in, to smooth over the conversation, to stop Josh from opening his oblivious mouth once more, but the Composer beat him to it.

"It's true. While it would look great on Eri, this color suits your skin tone better. Plus the cut would emphasize your figure and give you more of an hourglass silhouette." Joshua was stating this all so nonchalantly, not even looking at Shiki as he spoke. He was too occupied with a nearby shirt that had caught his eye to notice the poor girl's discomfort. It was painful to watch but what could Neku do? He wasn't good at conversation, heck; he wasn't good with people in general. Surely Josh knew what he was doing. Surely he wasn't that oblivious…right? But then he remembered the Composer's attempts to play nice with him late in the second week, promptly realizing that Josh was maybe even worse with social interaction than he was and attempted to jump in again. Who was he kidding? Josh was going to burn every single bridge without even realizing it!

"Hey-"

"Josh! What've you got there? Ooh, it's cute!"

Eri cut Neku off with the cheer of somebody completely unaware of what they just did, plucking the aforementioned shirt out of the bemused Composer's grasp. God dammit, how hard could it possibly be to get a word in edgewise?! But the teen's wrath was promptly ignored as Eri hummed and hawed over the shirt, holding it up to her best friends frame with a beaming grin.

"It suits you!"

"Er, um, thank you, but… I really think-!" Shiki could barely form a complete sentence, the clash of embarrassment and pride bringing tears to her eyes. Neku had well and truly given up by this point. Everything he said either didn't help, was ignored, or made things about ten times worse! This conversationalist lark was harder than it looked. He made the mistake of glancing at the glasses-clad girl, and seeing her in a shaking mess provoked him into action once more. He wasn't going to abandon his oldest friend (that was still alive, that is) to the fashion wolves! Maybe someone would actually listen to him this time.

"Oi, you two are really-"

"Oh, that top would look lovely with the skirt Shiki picked up."

"It really would! You heard him, girl. You have to try it on!"

"B-but! I know you two are just being nice, but please stop lying to make me feel better!" Shiki's upset cry was enough for Eri to finally catch on, her mouth clamping shut mid-flight. Joshua, however, was a different story entirely. Ooh, he looked pissed.

"Shiki? No offense, but I don't know you well enough to bother lying simply to 'make you feel better'. I am simply stating the facts. The color and shape would suit your figure and skin tone, and you would look genuinely nice in it. If it made you look like a lumbering hag that belonged in a sewer I would waste no time in telling you so. I suggest you look elsewhere for idle flattery."

...It was official; Joshua had the social graces of an elephant. It was all Neku could do to resist facepalming, groaning slightly as both Eri and Shiki stared with open mouths. What was that idiot thinking?! Didn't he want the others to like him? While he knew it wasn't necessary, he could still hang with Josh separate from the others, but…he liked being able to chill with everyone with once. Selfish, yes, but true. Ugh, he was going to have to do some serious damage control to bridge this gap.

"…Josh, I hereby declare you my sassy gay friend."

Wait what.

Neku had to make sure that he hadn't misheard, but one look at the joy on Eri's face confirmed it. Even Joshua was taken by surprise.

"Excuse me?"

"Don't deny it! That was just so, so…fabulous! Ooh, you have to check out this pair of jeans I found. I think they make me look fat, but the assistant won't tell me anything. Finally I'll get an honest opinion!"

And with that happy babble the Composer was dragged away, mild astonishment running riot on his face. Neku didn't blame him, he and Shiki staring after the pair and their shouts ("…since when was I gay?" "Really, don't even try to deny it." "That obvious?" "Fraid so.") with an odd atmosphere of confusion. Well, this was awkward. Hesitantly he turned to his oldest friend, taking in her shaken state with a wince in sympathy. That rant may have endeared Josh to Eri, but it had worked no such wonders on its intended recipient.

"Sorry about that. He…he means well." Neku put up lamely, inwardly cursing at the weakness of that argument. Well, how was he supposed to explain Joshua's way of thinking anyway?! If his trip to the Kiryu's had taught him anything, it was that the family's brand of logic was...twisted, to say the least. Shiki was just as unimpressed with the defense as Neku himself was, but she hid it well, offering her companion a shaky smile.

"Yeah, I know. Sorry for...losing it like that."

"No problem."

Really, he should leave it at that. Amends were made, Shiki was recovering, and Josh had been dragged somewhere where he couldn't do anymore damage. Yet Neku faltered for a few seconds, wrestling with an idea that was probably going to do more harm than good. She needed to hear it though...

"...You know, they were right. It would look good on you."

"Neku?!"

But he had already left, ignoring the bewildered exclamation behind him and swallowing embarrassment as spouting something so, so...sappy. What had gotten into him today?

* * *

"Oh, wow! That looks gorgeous!"

"I agree. Gold's a good color on you. Excellent choice, Eri."

"Heheh, stop it, you two! You're making me blush~"

Somehow they'd ended up in Sheep Heavenly, Neku's previous prediction of getting dragged everywhere coming true a lot faster than expected. He'd managed to break away from the newly dubbed 'fashion vultures' (Eri had blatantly refused to move from her new 'sassy' companion, Shiki was milling around the edges discreetly ignoring Joshua, and the Composer himself had been far too distracted by the new clothes that come out since he was last here to care) and found himself milling up the back with Rhyme, the girls plus Joshua's chatter a backdrop for their own, much quieter conversation. He didn't get to hang out with Rhyme much. Their age gap separated them for most of school, and it was rare to grab her by herself like this. Usually Beat followed her like a second shadow.

"Oh, what about this one?" Rhyme held up a bangle for closer inspection, smiling at her companion as he studied it. It did look like something Rhyme would wear, but...

"Won't your brother have a fit if you wear a bracelet decorated with sex symbols?"

"...Oh. Well, yes, he would." She sighed, placing the graphic bangle back with reluctance. Neku didn't think that even he could escape a beating for letting Beat's idolized sister buy something like that! So he simply pasted on an apologetic smile, directing her to the other, less suggestive pieces of jewelry.

"...You know..."

"Hmm?"

"Joshua reminds me of you, just a little. It's rather ironic."

Neku choked back his surprised start, but only succeeded in sending himself into a coughing fit. How the hell had Rhyme picked that up so quickly?! She just looked startled, for her part, scurrying over to pound him on the back. Obviously she didn't expect her words to have such an impact.

When he'd finally calmed down enough to stop trying to expel his lungs from his chest, Neku had to wonder just how Rhyme had become this perceptive. It wasn't like he and Josh looked physically similar, apart from the inherent lankiness they both possessed, and they both talked and acted differently. Hell, it'd taken Neku a while to notice the mental similarities! How had Rhyme picked it up in a matter of days? One of which Josh was shooting at them? The idea that she'd inherited it from her family was laughable; she had Beat for a brother, after all. Then again... maybe it was because Beat was such a dumbass…

"...Neku? You're staring again."

He jumped at the pointed statement, snapping out of his musings to find that he had indeed let his eyes glaze over. Oops.

"Sorry. Just wondering how you turned out so damn perceptive when you've got fucking Beat for a brother." Rhyme just grinned at the otherwise tactless statement, adjusting her beanie a bit higher on her head. Neku had learned that the gesture was Rhymes version of a knowing laugh.

"It's not as subtle as you think, you know."

"..."

Neku decided to ignore that, because he'd rather not think that he shared too many obvious details with a slightly deranged Composer. That would be...awkward. So he quickly moved the topic back to safer ground, ignoring the younger girls amusement at the sudden jab at Beat.

"Whatever. Still, my point stands. Beat is as aware as a brick."

She giggled at that, returning to the display with a smile still tugging at her lips.

"Is this bracelet any better?"

"It's nice."

"Mm, it is. I think I'll buy this one."

"...Let me."

"Eh? Oh no, I couldn't possibly-"

"No excuses, I want to do this. Besides, what guy would let a cute girl buy her own present?"

A bad attempt at a flirtatious wink was thrown in here, just to remind Rhyme that he was joking and wasn't really coming onto her. Lord help him if Beat ever misunderstood...but Rhyme was smart and understood what was happening; there was little danger in playing around in this way with her.

"...Darn, now you've pulled the gentleman card. I suppose I'll have to let you then." She was smiling though, and handed over the bracelet with a quiet "Thanks."

"Anytime."

Though it was only afterwards, when the jewelry was well and truly purchased, that Neku noticed one glaringly obvious point.

"...Oi, where's Beat?"

Beats location had come to light eventually, exploding out of the changing room adorned in various necklaces and a skirt. Apparently the girls had kidnapped him almost as soon as they entered Sheep Heavenly, Joshua binding him with a thought, laughing and commenting as the others forced the buff teen into various outfits...he really shouldn't be surprised. Put Josh and Eri in a room together and stunts like this were bound to happen. But they'd sorted it all out eventually, Rhyme placating her distraught brother with a bemused expression while Josh smoothly talked his way out with the assistant. At least Joshua and Shiki seemed closer now because of their shared kidnapping. They were actually talking now, glory be! All sarcasm aside though, Neku found the chaos strangely nostalgic, and so simply observed it all with a slight smile.

"My, someone looks contented." Joshua sidled up next to him, footsteps falling in time as the group left Molco behind them. Just because the Composer convinced the assistant not to press charges didn't mean they had escaped being kicked out...Eri had not been impressed. Neku took a second to consider the implied question, staring up at the clouds that trailed above, before shifting his gaze back to the pavement he'd grown up on. Was that how he felt? Contented? He sneaked a glance over at Josh, and had to fight back a smile as satisfaction welled up in him like a tidal wave. Yeah, that was a pretty accurate description.

"Mm. That's because I am."

"Care to share why?" Neku snorted at that, not because he found the query stupid, but because like hell he'd tell Josh the truth about that! He didn't want Josh getting a bigger head than he already had...it'd probably explode or something. You could never tell with these ethereal beings.

"Like hell."

"Aww, boo." Josh didn't sound mad at all though. In fact, Neku could hear a glimmer of the same quiet happiness he felt in the Composers tone, and it soothed some bundle of nerves that twittered what if they don't like him? What if you're forced to choose between them? What if-

He quickly ridded himself of such thought processes; it wasn't like he was some nervous mother at a first play date! Ah damn...Neku could feel the irritation starting to build in his system, a far-too-familiar ball of anger starting to bundle in his chest. This...wasn't good. He needed a distraction. Unfortunately for the Composer, he was whom Neku saw first. In Neku's defense, Joshua was acting surprisingly relaxed compared to the guarded flamboyance he usually flaunted. It was hard not to poke fun at his sudden chilled attitude.

"I could ask you the same thing, actually. What has got you purring like the cat that ate the canary?" He teased, thumping Josh's shoulder in an unusually physical act of familiarity for the teen. The jibe didn't go unnoticed, and a smirking Composer replied in kind.

"Oh, just that I'm so close to my Dear Neku. Be still my beating heart!" The dramatic swoon that accompanied Josh's statement was quickly dodged, leaving the teen to fall onto nothing. At least, that was the plan, except Neku had overlooked the tiny fact that Josh was the almost-deity of Shibuya. So instead Joshua floated on his back for a few good seconds before flipping himself onto his feet, an exaggerated yawn and a smirk in tow. It was moments like these that Neku really hated the bastard.

"Asshole."

"Love you too~"

Grumbling, Neku focused once more on the road in front of him. He'd well and truly lost that round... oh well. He enjoyed these clashes with Joshua, and they let him blow off steam in a way that nobody else could. Even if he did often leave feeling more irritated than when he started. But like hell he'd ever let Josh know any of this! He did have some pride, thank you very much. So he let out an annoyed sigh, slowing his step to allow the Composer to catch up.

"You and Shiki seem to be getting along okay now."

"I...suppose. She's nice enough, and has a killer sense of fashion. I just wish she'd display some semblance of self-confidence! I have no time for people who cannot accept the truth simply because it does not fit their warped image of themselves."

Ooh, Joshua sounded irritated. Obviously he didn't have much patience for shyness. Though Neku could hardly talk, he didn't either. If he hadn't been forced to get to know Shiki, to meet the girl behind the sniveling insecurity, he'd probably have blown her off just as Josh was doing. It...just took time. So he just shrugged at the Composer's statement, looking over his shoulder at his friends lagging behind with a rare, fond smile.

"I thought the same at first. But it's just something she's working through, and Shiki's one of the best friends I could ask for. She...doesn't give up on people."

His speech trailed off into a curse as he was forced to focus on the crowd they shared the pavement with, weaving through the crowd that seemed to miraculously appear. Ugh, why was it so busy? He knew it was sale day, but...Neku had to bite back more profanities as the crowd jostled him every which-way, and he found himself wondering idly if Josh was still behind him. He didn't want to lose the petite teen in this rabble! Though he kept that particular observation about the Composer's height under wraps, assuming that any jabs about his slight frame would be taken as well as Neku himself took them: not well at all. Though it was nice to finally find someone shorter than him... even if it was only by a centimeter or two. When you were below average height you took what you could get!

Neku turned to check for Joshua's whereabouts, but was taken by surprise at the expression trying to break through on the pale teens face. Was that...longing? He followed Joshua's gaze to a cylindrical metal cage jutted out into the street, the crowds swarming around it, but what was truly interesting was that Josh was trying to hide his attraction to it. He hadn't bothered to keep quiet if he'd wanted to look at something earlier today...he found himself wondering just what was so enthralling. So Neku jogged up to Josh and grabbed his arm, pulling him through the crowds none too gently.

"What're you...?"

"You wanted to look at the cage, right?"

"...! I appreciate your concern, however I was only-"

Okay, now he was flat-out denying his interest in this...thing? It only served to fuel Neku's curiosity. Who knows, it could be some bargain bin that would send Shiki and Eri into a frenzy! Or something terribly embarrassing that he could blackmail Josh with later. Fine, so maybe his intentions for helping weren't entirely innocent, so sue him. But when he finally broke through the masses, Composer in tow, he was not expecting the tiny balls of fluff that greeted him. Were those...rabbits? He vaguely registered Josh doubling his attempts to pull away, spouting a near continuous stream of dialogue that boiled down to a dragged out way of saying 'let me go.' Joshua sounded angry, exasperated, and...embarrassed. Oho, like Neku would let this go now. His blackmail hunch had been right! Score!

"Really, Josh? Rabbits?"

"As I stated previously, I was merely wondering about the gathering point of the crowd! I have no interest in these...rodents." The Composer sniffed, but there was no hiding the slight tinge on the tips of his cheekbones. He also sounded a lot more formal in his speech than earlier. Was this Joshua speak for 'I'm so embarrassed I don't know what to do right now'? Neku decided to test his theory. For scientific purposes, of course. Not because he enjoyed tormenting his friend or anything- oh who was he kidding? Neku was enjoying this way too much.

"Well, this is a surprise. Let's go see if we can hold one." Neku yanked the teen forward once more, biting back a grin at the spluttered noises Josh was making behind him. Aww, how cute. Was Josh all flustered? It only encouraged the teen rather than sparking sympathy, so he waltzed up to the assistant and put on his best smile.

"Hi there. Can my friend hold one of the rabbits?"

"Neku! I said that I was fine." Josh hissed still tugging at his arm in an attempt to break free. Neku didn't believe a word of it. If Joshua really didn't want to be here, he would've teleported halfway across Shibuya by now. This struggle was all for the sake of pride.

"Why, certainly! What color would the young man prefer?"

"You heard her Josh. What color would the 'young man' like?"

"I am so going to murder you for this."

"Yeah yeah, plan your revenge after picking the color of the damn rabbit."

"...White."

Neku smirked in victory as the Composer looked incredibly pissed off, embarrassment tingling his cheeks a lovely pale shade of pink. Oh my word, he was blushing. This was better blackmail material than he had hoped for! But all thoughts of cruelty melted away when the assistant handed over the tiny critter, and one look at Josh cradling it and trying to hide a smile with a scowl was enough to shoot down any nasty plans. He just looked so damn...cute. It was strangely awkward, like he was seeing something he wasn't supposed to, and found himself tearing his eyes off his companion with a cough.

He never thought that Joshua would be the type to go gushy over bunnies though...yet another tidbit to file away for later use. Hmm, maybe he should wave the others over? They had just dashed off into the crowd, after all, and Shiki would be working herself into a panic at their disappearance. But when Neku turned to relay his decision and got an eyeful of the Composer gently bumping noses with the rabbit...well, let's just say Neku felt a little selfish. The others didn't get to see this. This was special. So Neku just grinned and ruffled the rabbit's fur, ignoring the startled look he earned for his trouble.

"They're rather adorable, aren't they?"

"...Yeah."

"Though what's more adorable is that you have a soft spot for 'em." He was teasing, and the glare he received shown that it hadn't gone unnoticed. Like he'd let a simple stare deter him though! This was too good an opportunity to pass up, blackmail or no. Finally he could irritate Joshua for once instead of the other way around!

"So? You gonna buy one?"

"Oh please. What on earth would I do with it?"

"It'd make a pretty awesome hat." And with that statement Neku swooped the poor animal out of Joshua's hands and dumped it on his startled companions head. What do you know? It matched Joshua's hair color! As if to prove Neku's point the bunny wasted no time in burrowing into the Composer's hair probably hiding from the crazy orange haired teen.

"Heh, it looks like you've got rabbit ears."

"Just- just shut up." Joshua grumbled, vocabulary finally failing him as he delicately removed the animal, handing it back to the expectant assistant with haste. Ooh, Josh was mad. Somehow Neku wasn't bothered by this fact. Instead the teen simply placed his hands behind his head and grinned, waltzing over with an undeniable air of self-satisfaction. Josh looked less than impressed.

"Don't think I've forgotten what I said. I will murder you for this."

"Pssh, your life would be too boring without me." Neku was too busy congratulating himself to notice Joshua's final whisper, the Composer watching him wave the others over with a tiny, almost fond smile.

"...True."

* * *

"Good day- ah! A pleasure to see you again, M'lady!" Neku was not prepared for Princess K's burst of excitement, bounding over to Josh with all the enthusiasm of a puppy. Wait...'M'lady'? Since when was Joshua female royalty? The Composer just brushed off his questioning stare returning her greeting in kind.

"Oh no, the pleasure's all mine, your Highness. How are you this fine day?"

"Splendid! Our designer has finally got a new line out, and I must say, it's almost as if it was made for you! You must let me have the honor of seeing you in it!" She babbled happily, not even waiting for a reply before dragging of a rather bemused Joshua. Neku almost felt sorry for him. He'd never seen her so...worked up. Man, obviously Josh looked damn good in the clothes here. Why else would the usually calm Princess K enter such a frenzy?

He quickly cut his musings short once he noticed Eri eyeing him, swiftly moving to the back of the store. Like hell he was going to let her change his wardrobe! The second she got close enough to grab his arm, it was all over...

Beat was nearby, thank the gods, and Neku hurriedly used him as a makeshift shield to avoid the fashion crazy redhead. Not even Eri would dare mention fashion near Beat! Besides, he hadn't had much of a chance to talk to his buff friend today. While it wasn't the most stimulating conversation, it was almost refreshing talking to someone too stupid to be dishonest. With this in mind Neku tapped him on the shoulder, frowning slightly at the uneasy expression he was met with.

"Hey. What's up?"

"N-Nothin', yo. Jus' thinkin'." Beat muttered, his eyes wandering over to the changing room where Joshua and the Princess resided. He seemed bothered by something. That in itself was a rarity, considering how Beat was usually so loud and intense. Neku stared at him, violet orbs unimpressed and searching, before he decided that he wasn't going to put up with any more of this crap and spoke.

"Don't give me that. What's on your mind?"

"Well... It's jus' that- that chick called Prissy kid 'M'lady'."

"Your point is?"

"Aw man, don' make me spell it out, yo..." Beat rubbed the back of his neck as he spoke, clearly less than comfortable with the situation. "J-Josh looks really...girly, ya know?"

Neku was still at a loss here. Beat wasn't making any sense dammit! Usually he cut straight for the point, it was odd for him to be dancing around the issue like this. This was so aggravating!

"Get on with it!"

"What if Joshua's actually a chick?!"

The sheer stupidity of Beat's panicked shout actually stunned Neku into silence. And here he was, wondering if his buff friend had a legitimate concern, but all it was involved Josh's obvious femininity?! A disbelieving glance registered the sincerity in his companion's eyes, confirming that yes, he was serious and yes, Beat was an idiot. Neku could feel a migraine coming on...

"Ugh, Beat? Josh is most assuredly male."

"How do you know that, yo? He could'a been a chick this whole time an' nobody'd know!"

"No, listen-"

"An' you have to have noticed those curves, man! Where's your proof? Gimme proof that Prissy Kid is a bona-fide bloke!" Beat was shouting now, drawing stares from the other customers while Neku tried to melt into the clothes rack. Getting harassed by his buff friend was not how he planned for today to go.

"Just can it for a second! You're too fucking loud!" Even Beat knew to shut up when he took on that tone of voice. "Josh is a guy, okay?! I refuse to endure these idiotic worries of yours any longer!"

"My my, what's with all the shouting?"

Neku whirled at the Composer's call, and had to swallow a start of surprise when Josh strode out in an intricate dress. He looked just like a girl...oh shit. One glance confirmed that Beat was drawing in breath, ready to shout to the rooftops about this 'proof' of Joshua's newfound womanhood, and Neku grabbed his hand and dragged him out of the store. If he was going to explode, he could at least do it out of Joshua's earshot.

"See?! See, I told you! He's totally a lady, yo!"

"No, he's not. Just because he looks good in a dress-"

"Too good, if you ask me! I need to go tell the others that you've got some crazy yandere chick on your trail."

"...Yandere?"

"Well yeah, she tried to shoot you, dumbass!" And now she's actin' all nice... it's suss, yo. You got yourself a stalker girl!"

"FOR THE LAST TIME, JOSH IS NOT A-"

"Ah!" Neku was cut off mid-rant as he felt a presence fall behind him, bumping into someone as he gestured angrily. Aww crap! He didn't mean to knock someone over. His fury was quickly forgotten as he raced to help the victim up, already spouting apologies.

"Oh, I didn't see you there. You okay?"

...Fine, so maybe not apologies. It was as close as he was ever going to get though, and the recipient didn't seem to mind, vaguely replying in kind.

"Yes, I'm fine. Sorry to make you worry." The girl took the offered hand and Neku pulled her up, running a quick check for any lost items that may have shaken loose in the mishap. The last thing he wanted was to be accused of stealing anything...wait.

"Don't I know you from somewhere?"

"Hmm?"

Now Neku remembered, finally attaching a name to her face. Great, as if this needed help to descend into awkwardness. Bumping into an acquaintance from school was just what he needed.

"Yeah. Rena, right? I'm Neku. We're lab partners."

Now it was the girl's turn to jolt obviously feeling guilty for forgetting.

"I'm sorry, I didn't recognize you."

You'd have to be an idiot to not pick up on the underlying subtext of because we never talk, let alone interact, and Neku was no idiot. Before things could get truly uncomfortable though who should skip out but Joshua, still wearing the same dress from before.

"So here's where you ran off to. We could hear your howling from inside you know."

The smirk that adorned Josh's face spoke clearly of his knowledge of Beat's worries, and it was almost comical to watch the horror in the buff teen's expression. Well, that'd remove his fears quickly enough. Now there was another person in this recipe for social disaster... he supposed he'd better get this over with. With a sigh Neku turned to his classmate, the obligatory introductions on the tip of his tongue, but what he saw caused him to falter.

Fear.

Absolute, crushing fear.

Rena was shaking like a deer in the headlights, palms fluttering open and shut in anxiety. Neku thought she was going to pass out! You'd have to be completely heartless to ignore this level of panic, and so Neku reached out to her in concern.

"Hey, you okay?"

Her eyes snapped to him, wide and frantic, and she grabbed his arm in a clumsy lunging motion. What the hell was wrong with her?! Neku almost pulled his arm away, until he heard a voice on the point of sobbing hiss in his ear.

"Wh-what are you doing?! Run! He'll, he'll... he..."

She broke off mid-sentence and thrust herself away, eyes fixating on Joshua once more. Obviously something was going on here...perhaps they knew each other? Though one look at the bemused expression on the Composer's face crushed that idea. Argh, Neku was so confused! The fact that she suddenly bolted with a choked cry only strengthened this feeling. At least someone found some amusement in it, Joshua strolling over with a raised eyebrow.

"My, is someone having girl troubles? I know that I look gorgeous, but I didn't mean to inspire jealousy. I do apologize~" He sang, flopping across Neku with a devilish grin. Wh- as if! He barely spoke to the girl! Talk about jumping to conclusions. The teen just snorted in response, brushing the grinning fiend off. Come to think of it, Beat was awfully quiet...Neku turned to his friend, expecting some expression of embarrassment, but instead had to fight back an overwhelming desire to groan at the starry-eyed Beat.

"Dude...she was amazing, yo."

It was official; Neku was going to hit something.

* * *

Finally, a chance to sit down! Admittedly they'd only stopped because it was starting to get dark (had the day swung past already?), but it was still an aching reprieve for his aching feet. So it was no surprise that Neku was the first to sit down, skipping his usual banter with Sanae. He was tired dammit! The girls were rather exhausting... especially since they'd warmed up to Josh by the sixth shop they'd entered.

The barista just raised a questioning eyebrow at the display, chuckling at the baleful glare he received, but letting the matter slide. He'd like to keep his head attached to his shoulders, thank you very much. So Neku just watched through half-lidded eyes as the rest of the bunch filtered in, observing the cheerful exchange of greetings one by one until Josh sauntered in. This should be interesting...

"Evening Mr. H. Your shop is as empty as always."

"...Oh, if it isn't the almighty Composer! Should I bow at your feet, oh exalted one?"

"Only if it helps you feel better about your empty existence as a barista." The smirk that adorned Joshua's face took all of the sting out of his words though, and Mr. H replied in kind.

"Ouch! Whatever you say, M'lady. Get that pasty tush of yours in here! It's been far too long."

That went...far better than expected, and Neku found himself frowning. It wasn't like he wanted them to fight or anything, but... Mr. H had been nearly adamant that Josh wasn't going to show up. Couldn't he act a little more surprised? Maybe even gape a little? Perhaps even come over and make some congratulatory comment about how Neku had proved him wrong?

Wait.

Was he seriously pining for a compliment from Mr. H?! Oh my god, that was just so many layers of pathetic. Neku found himself incredibly pissed at himself and promptly started gnawing aggressively at a stray fork, too busy berating himself to notice his actions. Okay, so maybe Mr. H was his hero, not to mention his art was the only thing that pulled him through a rough patch in his short life, but that was no reason to go all mopey for his attention! He was starting to act like those creeper Slammurai fanboys.

...He still wanted a compliment though...

Neku increased his onslaught on the utensil in his mouth, the poor fork getting violently chewed on with twice the vigor of before. Unfortunately his odd behavior had not gone unnoticed.

"...Having fun there? There are better ways to combat an iron deficiency, you know." Josh stated, and the grin that followed as Neku dropped the fork with a splutter rubbed him all the wrong ways. Bastard! There were about a million nicer ways to voice that. Then again, if he did twist his words to soften the blow, it wouldn't be Joshua. So Neku just ducked his head with a scowl, unable to think of anything to explain his actions. Luckily Josh let it go with little more than a chuckle at his expense.

"Oh, relax Dear. Now we both know something embarrassing about the other, hmm?" Neku blinked at that. Oh yeah, the bunny thing. He supposed he could force his silence with that, but something in the Composer's tone was...different. Like this wasn't a simple blackmail exchange.

"Are you...are you offering to keep it a secret for me?" His tone perfectly captured Neku's disbelief, and it seemed to irritate his companion. Well geez, he hadn't meant to piss him off. It was just hard to believe that Josh of all people would willingly keep quiet about something that could bring great pain to his ex-proxy. Unless...maybe he thought…

"Of course, imbecile. Isn't that what...it's just common decency."

Now it was Neku's turn to grin as Joshua spluttered around the word 'friend', as if speaking it out loud would break something. This was just too hilarious! And...strangely cute. Poor Josh sounded so lost... he really wasn't good at this 'being sincere' thing, was he? That was fine though, Neku wasn't exactly a master at saying what he meant either. So he simply leaned over and poked Joshua in the forehead, wearing a self-satisfied smile.

"You're not going to jinx anything by calling me a friend, you know."

"...! So Shiki, you haven't told me how you got into sewing."

The teen just laughed out loud at the sudden subject change, regarding the Composer with a smug expression as the pale teen focused on looking anywhere but at Neku. Man, he was feeling better already!

He left Joshua to his conversation with Shiki (he'd heard this tale many a time before) and left the table to seek out Mr. H, coffee the only thing on his mind. Neku supposed he'd been a bit spoiled when it came to caffeinated drinks, having his favorite blend on demand and at a discount, but he actually had a very good reason to satisfy his caffeine addiction, thank you very much. He was hoping to chat with the barista for a bit, thank him for the information that saved his life. If he hadn't been warned beforehand and brought his pin just in case...well, he'd be six feet under by now. So with that in mind Neku moved toward the counter, returning Mr. H's usual smile with gratitude.

"The usual, please."

"Comin' right up, Phones. Oh yeah, well done for not getting yourself shot."

It was spoken as a joke, so Neku replied in kind. It was usual for them, after all.

"It wasn't easy. We all know how stubborn Josh can be, especially when he's set on placing a bullet through your skull."

Mr. H simply snorted in response, working his machine with the ease of many years practice. Neku found it fascinating. To think that something as simple as pulling a lever required so much training...interesting. Now he knew how to get easy money if the need ever arose! With a jet of steam the barista finished, turning to his customer with a flourish reminiscent of the final brushstroke on a masterpiece. An odd analogy, but true. It was near impossible to not associate Mr. H with art.

"Come'n get it!"

Neku reached for the mug with a smile, but it was quickly replaced by a wince at the dull ache that pounded in his shoulder. Darn, not again...It had been sore on and off all day! Though he supposed he shouldn't have expected any different, considering he had a bullet lodged in there not too long ago. He couldn't expect Josh's healing to be the miracle cure-all he wanted it to be. His pain did not slip past unnoticed however, Mr. H frowning with mild concern.

"You all right there?"

"I'll be okay, just a little reminder of Josh's temper tantrum."

"Ooh, gotcha. Played pincushion, did ya?"

"Kind of." Neku agreed, still wearing a slight smile. "I almost regret handing him back his gun now!"

"...What?"

Something in Mr. H's tone made Neku freeze, eyes snapping up to meet the barista's with an element of surprise. What'd he say? He didn't get much time to ponder though as he was manhandled for the second time today, getting yanked across the bench top with nary as much as a warning.

"Phones. Tell me what happened."

All the playfulness was gone from the older man's tone, scaring the teen more than he'd like to admit. He'd fucked up. He didn't know how or why, but the suddenly intense atmosphere had him on edge...and wary.

"What? Josh just reacted badly, like you said he would. Nothing more."

Okay, maybe he was twisting his words a little, but he wasn't sure that he wanted Mr. H to know the truth now. He thought it wouldn't be a big deal. Heck, if he'd been none to fussed with Neku trying to choke Shiki, why should being shot be such an event? Mr. H was not pleased with this secretive response.

"Kid, listen to me. This is important. Did Joshua shoot you?"

"Why-"

"Did he shoot you?"

"No, he-"

"Neku."

"He didn't mean it!" He blurted, because he was scared. Mr. H was scaring him with his serious eyes and firm grip. Was this really the same man that laughed everything off, took nothing seriously? Was this really Mr. H? The barista released Neku with a groan, barely noticing how the teen almost recoiled from his presence.

"Fuck...god dammit Josh!" He hissed, and for one lonely second he looked torn, miserable and tired. It only reinforced the gnawing panic in the teens mind. "I...need to make a call..."

"Mr. H!"

But he was gone, disappearing into the back of the shop with the resigned step of a reluctant murderer. Neku would be lying if he said he wasn't freaking out. He'd fucked up. Something was going to happen, something bad, and it was all because he'd opened his fat mouth. How could he be calm about this? Not after being able to relax with all his friends for the first time today, not after seeing Joshua indulge in a moment of childishness with the rabbits. He noticed the Composer's questioning stare coupled with Rhymes gaze as the two of the more perceptive in the group (one by position, one by nature) picked up on his distress, and felt an odd ache shoot through him at the sight. He couldn't look at them. He'd fucked up. But he flashed them a smile that wasn't really fooling anyone, sitting down once more, and placing his head on the table in a vain attempt to ignore the feeling that everything was going to blow up because of him.

He'd succeeded, for a while. The constant chatter and jokes his group provided soothed his nerves, convincing himself that maybe, just maybe, nothing would go wrong. Maybe Mr. H just had some really serious business to attend to, that Neku only reminded him of...? Relief is short lived though, and Neku knew it. So he wasn't surprised when Mr. H reappeared at closing time with four figures behind him, shooing everyone out except Joshua. He didn't make a fuss, didn't try to catch Mr. H's eyes. He just saw everyone else off with a smile and milled over to the entrance of the cafe. It was his fault, right? So it was the least he could do to wait for Joshua, maybe even defend him if needed. He really hoped he hadn't done anything too terrible... Like get the Composer in trouble with the higher-ups. With that sobering conclusion gnawing at the pit of his stomach, Neku settled down outside to wait for Joshua's reappearance.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the last chapter that Laura wrote before she vanished. She gave me the first part of chapter 10 but from here on out, the writing style will change and I will be following the vague outline she had of this story. 
> 
> The ultimate cliffhanger will no longer be a cliffhanger soon enough.


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And now we have reached the part where Laura disappeared after promising an update. She had sent me the first part of this chapter before she vanished. At the beginning, she struggled with describing the angel characters I gave her but she stopped right before shit hit the fan, so it is my job to continue what could have potentially happened. Alas, I don't have Laura's mind. I just have the vague outline of what she wanted to occur in this scene and in future chapters.
> 
> People who follow me know I write super long chapters which Laura does not. A lot of details will be put in and scenes might be longer than intended. I apologize for that and I do hope I can mimic Laura's writing and not embarrass her. Our writing is different as night and day and the change in writing style will probably be very noticable. 
> 
> FYI, the people from FF.Net should be notified that there is finally an update...but its not as good as it would be if Laura touched it. :| I apologize for that.

Neku leaned on the outside wall of the Wildkat café, unease sending his hands fluttering around the headphones at his neck. Music, music would help. But what if something happened and he missed it? He'd never forgive himself if he had a chance to right his mistake but let it slip by…with a breathy groan the teen slid to the frozen asphalt, absentmindedly rubbing his wrist. This was all his fault.

He could hear a muffled conversation through the wall, voices burbling into slurred streams of emotion. Irritation, guilt, unhappiness, nerves…it was all splayed out for his ears, yet vague enough that he couldn't decipher any of it! Oh, it was so frustrating Neku could cry. He'd give anything to feel like he could do something, absolutely anything! But he couldn't. Neku couldn't do squat.

With that sobering thought, Neku resumed his moody flicking of the gravel, lost in thoughts that only stressed him out more. Why did he have to be so bloody helpless? If it was any other situation he would've ploughed in there, consequences be damned. But this whole situation was a result of his slip-up, and that…well, that put certain restrictions on the rather miserable teen.

Really, what was he even doing out here anyway? Like hell the first thing Josh wanted to see after getting in trouble was the person who dobbed on him in the first place. There was barely any light left in the sky, not to mention that Cat Street wasn't the safest suburb at night, and he should probably head home before his old man had a fit...Neku gave a weak smile at that. Odd how disappearing for three weeks earned you a ridiculously early curfew. Not that his father could really enforce it, of course, but it wasn't like the teen was trying to be abrasive, so he rather grudgingly stuck to it. Usually. Tonight was winding up to be one of those 'usually' moments. Hoo boy, he was going to get an earful at breakfast tomorrow.

That reminded him, just how late was it? Neku didn't exactly have a good sense of time passing; years spent moping made two hours feel like fifteen minutes. He fished for his MP3, the device somehow finding its way down his cowl, pulling it up to check its internal clock. 10:37.

They'd been in there for an hour?!

All conversation had stilled at some point in the teen's musings, only adding to the growing sense of dread he now harbored. An hour was far too long for just talking. The only reason it would take this much time was if somebody was taking action…oh fuck.

Neku sprung to his feet, guilt and worry tearing at his chest. He didn't mean for Josh to get punished! Heck, he hadn't meant to drop him in it at all, but that was beside the point. He had to do something. The question was what.

The most obvious option was to just burst in, the element of surprise and all that, but something told him that it wouldn't exactly be smart. The people were Josh's superiors, for God's sake! As in, they were more powerful than the freaking Composer and could probably screw him over before he could blink. Neku happened to like being alive.

Maybe he could just peek through the door, scope out the situation. It was better to be safe than sorry after all…

All right, maybe he was a little afraid. So sue him. Neku had been scared when Joshua had pointed a gun at him, but he hadn't fled then. Why should he let a little fear start holding him back now? His mental rev up had worked wonders, the teen nodding once in foolhardy determination before quietly easing open the door and peering in.

There were four- no, five figures scattered across the room, each one absorbed in their own task. One was a rather effeminate male with blue eyes and spiky dark blue hair. One had to wonder how much hair gel he used to become as spiky as a porcupine. The outfit he wore looked like a tunic worn by the Gods in Greek mythology. The most noticeable feature this guy had were the nasty scars on his hands. Even if you weren't wearing glasses, the image would be embedded into your mind as it looked like someone took a knife and thought to spell with said knife. The young man didn't seem fazed by keeping a scar like that out in the open. In fact, it seemed like he didn't mind showing it off while he was reclining on a bar stool while positively reeking of boredom.

The second one that came into vision was a young woman who looked to be Neku's age but that might have been because of her height more than anything else. She sat at the table alone with a diary of some sort writing stuff down. It might have been something important but given that the girl had a luminescent blush on her cheek, chances were it wasn't. This girl also had blue hair but it was longer to the point that it looked like it touched her rear, and said hair might have been longer if she didn't tie it up in a ponytail. Her blue eyes were focused on her book as she moved her blue scarf toward her face. This girl could be described as the blue girl given almost everything she had was nothing but the color blue. Her outfit was a lovely shade of midnight blue and she dressed like she was a ninja from the Sengoku era.

Mr. H was worrying over his coffee machine in a rather aggressive manner. After everyone had left, Mr. H gave a disappointed look to Josh. Now, he looked even more exhausted than before. Perhaps the other four people in the room were the cause of his exhaustion.

The third figure was a tall man with short red hair. Since his back was turned to Neku, the orange haired teen wouldn't be able to see what color his eyes were but given the theme here, it might as well have been red (they weren't. They were brown). Just looking at this man from the back though gave Neku shivers. His outfit was very military theme. In fact one could easily mistaken it as something one wore during World War II with its black, brown and gold colors. He towered over a kneeled figure in front of Joshua. Because the redhead was blocking his view, it was difficult to see who this one was but from the back he looked like to be a gentleman of sorts. His black/dark brown/forest green (Neku couldn't tell with Mr. Redhead in the way) hair (that looked like he came from a swim in the ocean) was covered by a black top hat. This man wore a black trench coat that gave off the serious vibe and had his eyes set on Josh in the room.

Speaking of Joshua, what the bloody hell were they doing to him?

Neku craned his neck for a tantalizing flash of lights, a mysterious glow peppering the space between The Composer and this newcomer. The one kneeling had his palm outstretched, and to say Neku was surprised by the glowing spiral held there would be an understatement. What on earth was that?! More importantly, what was it doing to Joshua? The pale haired teen looked worryingly blank, staring straight at the vortex. Was he being hypnotized? While Neku had had always been a skeptic about those sort of controlling trances, the red skull pins had quite cleanly disproved that theory, and there was very little else that could explain this situation.

A loud yawn suddenly cut through the silence, startling Neku out of his reverie.

"Are you about done over there? There's only so much time you can kill by staring at the ceiling, you know and I've already crossed that line. Hurry it up!"

The voice was cut off with a snarl, each syllable oozing aggression, and Neku had to fight back the urge to release the sudden tingle of fear by punching them in the face.

"Shut up. You are well aware of the complexity of zis exercise, so for once can you not run interference and let Michael concentrate?"

This was met with a grumpy sigh, the recipient of such harsh words obviously displeased by the turn of events.

"I still don't see why I have to be here."

"Are you deaf? I told you to shut up."

"I don't answer to you."

There was something decidedly malicious in his tone. A hidden taunt that had not gone unnoticed and Neku was just glad he wasn't in that café. Something told him that this wasn't going to end well… his thoughts were confirmed a few moments later.

"What ze hell did you just say to me?!"

"You heard me. I don't take orders from Nazis."

A loud crash rang through the night air, accompanied by Mr. H's protests about the treatment of his tables. Much to Neku's fierce satisfaction, he was ignored. Instead the mocking tone continued, sounding viciously delighted at the reaction he got, and the teen could only listen as the situation escalated. These people were Joshua's superiors? So far the only thing they were 'superior' at was bickering like infants.

…Actually, he took that back. Nobody was better than Joshua at picking fights over nothing.

"Aww, is Ariel throwing a tantrum? Does he need Michael to make it all better?"

"Enough!" A new voice sliced through the tension, Neku vaguely noticing the kneeling figure turning to face his companions. So then that had to be Michael, Right? He was awfully…tall, to say the least. It was just the slightest bit intimidating. And by 'slightest', he meant, "Oh god if he falls on me I'm going to die painfully!" So yeah, no problems here. Neku had it all under control.

"Look, um, please don't fight… It, uh, kind of breaks my concentration? I'm really sorry…"

Did Neku say intimidating? His mistake; that impression drained impossibly fast once the guy started falling over himself to apologize. Surprisingly one of the two seemed to listen (the one with the inherent rage at everything- he assumed that was Ariel), making a vague, incredibly hissy noise of frustration before backing off. Unfortunately the other one had no such maturity.

"He started it, therefore I regret nothing."

"Rafael…I know dis is boring, but please? I'll go as fast as I can. I promise… and zen I can stop holding us all up from whatever plans you have. Please? We kind of…need you here…Assembly orders."

Now it was the other's turn to grumble, forcing the teen outside to strain his ears to hear. How had this turned into eavesdropping? He usually wasn't so nosy…hell, usually he wasn't so subtle. Why on earth he hadn't charged in there, guns ablaze, continued to elude him.

"Grazie. I'm so sorry for taking up your time… I'll be as quick as I can."

"Hey hey hey, watch it, you've let your psyche slip-!"

Mr. H's frenzied shout was quickly forgotten in the wake of what followed, a small noise freezing Neku's heart.

"…Mmmh…"

Was that…Joshua?!

He sounded so disoriented; voice slurred and muffled, the sound of someone who was just starting to stir in an unfamiliar place. He sounded almost scared. Vulnerable. Josh was in there, making terrifyingly pitiable noises, and it was all their fault.

Protective fury Neku didn't even know he had roared up in a white-hot wave, stress and anger rushing through his system and activating every muscle that screamed get him out of there. His mind, however, had focused in on one solitary thought.

How dare they?!

How  **DARE**  they even think of doing something like this to Joshua, and try to get away with it. How  **DARE**  they consider punishing Josh an acceptable action, when in reality it was all his fault for tattling on him in the first place-

In hindsight, Neku would be slightly disturbed by how quickly his thoughts derailed themselves and spiraled into attempted manslaughter. However for now he shoved all logic to the side, as who the hell needs rational thought when there were people to maul? So he contented himself with throwing the door open and disregarding the varying levels of shock in the room in favor of speaking the one thing on his mind.

"What the fuck."

Everyone seemed to be in some odd state of bemused shock. It was fine with him, as it gave Neku the chance to storm over and yank a startled Michael to his feet.

"Get the fuck away from Joshua!" He snarled, literally baring his teeth at the panicky being. The glowing vortex splattered to the ground, forgotten. Neku was far too furious to notice such trivial details.

"E, er-! He, hello dere, we were just passing through and-"

"Don't give me that crap. I don't know what you did to him, but you're going to fix it. Now."

Michael let out a terrified shriek, his concentration completely broken by Neku's threatening voice. Neku wanted to pat himself on the back. A fifteen year old managed to scare an intimidating looking adult. Then again, if Neku's conscience was still around, the scene played out like he was bullying a cute puppy.

"Phones, why are you still here?!" Mr. H questioned. The angry tone was still there but with how Neku was feeling, he didn't feel fear.

"I was worried for my friend and now I see what is going on! I'm taking Josh!"

"Um…you can't…" Michael mumbled softly but another fierce glare from Neku caused the seaweed haired man to back off with a horrifying squeal.

"I can! Just try me!"

"Hey, who ze fuck zink you are?!"

Neku was glad he wasn't looking at Mr. Redhead. The sound of a gun clicking only made Neku break out into a cold sweat. How many times would a gun be pointed at him? And what was his crime this time? Protecting Josh from these immature psychopaths!

"Ggnng…" Josh continued to stir, finally returning to reality. "Uh…"

"We're getting out of here, Josh!"

Neku didn't bother explaining to Josh what was going on. The orange haired teen continued to be surprised with Josh. It was easy to yank his arm and drag him out of Wildkat. Neku could have sworn that the trigger happy man would have shot him before he even had a chance to do this. With all the shouting about not shooting a kid, it was clear the newcomers were divided on what to do. Neku thanked his lucky stars that the cowardly man was also the one who was letting him get out scot-free.

"Gabriel, go after them!" Ariel ordered.

Neku spoke too soon. Either way, once he dragged Josh out of the café, he picked up the pace and forced his friend to run with him. He didn't look back. There was no reason to turn back to the death zone behind him.

* * *

Neku had no idea what the hell he was doing. His mind only thought about Joshua's safety. Josh had to get away from those angels and Mr. H. The Composer hadn't exactly reacted when he got yanked out of the café. It was the main reason why they didn't go as far as Neku had wanted.

"Come on, Josh! Wake up! Josh!"

Josh would be offended and impressed that Neku had the guts to slap him while he was in a defenseless state. Pulling him out of the café of screaming angels and yelling at him didn't do the trick but smacking his cheek did. Josh blinked feeling the sudden pain before he looked over to Neku. His expression darkened.

"What was that for, Neku?!"

Neku sighed in relief. Josh hadn't lost himself to whatever the hell that angel was doing to him.

"Wake up, Sleeping Beauty. I can't get you out of here alone," Neku couldn't help but snark. Really, Josh had the power to make Neku be concerned one moment and then dismissive the next.

Josh gave a hard stare at Neku. Clearly, he tried to recall what was going on. Fortunately, his memory clicked when something sharp flew right past him and Neku.

"Neku…what did you do?" Josh asked casually. His voice was a little shaky though.

"I got you away from those angels. I'll apologize as much as you want later!"

Now that Josh was conscious, Neku grabbed his arm and continued to run away from the angels. Only one of them was following them despite two of the angels screaming bloody murder at him. Neku already felt something was different. Josh seemed lighter. What did the angel do to him for Josh to be dragged around so easily? It felt…odd.

"Stop."

The voice was quiet and firm. Josh tried to get Neku to stop running before he did something stupid. Neku only stopped because of the Composer forcing Neku to stop in his tracks and for good reasons. The timing was perfect. Something else flew over Neku's head and if he had continued running, he would find a sharp object in the shame shoulder where he got shot not too long ago.

"Return to the café."

In the blink of an eye, the path in front of them was blocked by an angel. It was the sole female angel who did not say anything during the bickering. Neku recalled Ariel ordering her to follow them but he didn't think she would be fast. Perhaps what she lacked in conversation, she made up in combat…and that was terrible because now he either had to force his way through or go back…

"Like hell we will!" Neku shouted.

Neku got a better look at the female angel. With how quick she moved, the ninja appearance suddenly made sense. It was…odd to say the least. Now that her notebook was no longer distracting her, she gave the coldest stare imaginable. One of a killer.

"The Composer has committed terrible crimes. We are fixing that."

With everything rushing back to Josh, he stayed quiet. It was so unlike Josh. He should have snarked at the girl for saying that but his mouth was sealed.

"I won't let you erase Josh!"

"…Neku, it's not necessary…" Josh mumbled. "They only want me anyway…there is no point in dragging you into my problem."

Neku didn't believe that. Josh was one of his partners and the last thing he would allow happen was for Josh to vanish on him again. No matter what the cost, he had to keep Josh safe. He just had to!

"If you interfere with the mission, I will erase you too," Gabriel said coldly. Her weapons of choice were in fact ninja throwing weapons like kunai and shuriken. "And I do not want to do that. Michael says that this must be done without endangering the lives of the living."

Oh, that's how it was? Neku probably had a chance if she listened to that guy. Then again, so far all the angels had demonstrated a need for bloodshed and Gabriel was no exception. Neku took a defensive stance in front of Josh ready to defend him with his life.

"Neku, just leave…" Joshua told his friend darkly. "I'm certain you don't want to die again."

"Hell no! You have put my life in more danger than anyone else!" Neku exclaimed. "But I already made the decision that I'm not letting the angels kill you for my mistake!"

"It wasn't…" Josh's voice trailed off. "Oh…"

Suddenly, Josh allowed Neku to protect him. The orange haired teen questioned the sudden change but he couldn't think on it now. Gabriel had waited for Neku to walk away without a fight but if he was going to continue protecting the Composer, she had no choice but to fight.

"…I gave you a chance to walk out without any injuries. I'm sorry, Michael, but there has to be a casualty."

Gabriel wasted no time charging Neku with her weapon in hand. Neku really didn't know what he was supposed to do besides push Josh out of the way and get out of the way as well. She really was a ninja! She was lightning fast with her movement. The goal was to separate him from Josh and she did that easily. She tried to get behind Neku and karate chop him.

Neku realized that she wasn't trying to kill him despite her words. Perhaps she was the type to say one thing and not commit to it if she had to. She was an angel after all...and with that in mind, he needed to use this to his advantage. The orange haired teen would use all the power he had to make sure she struggled. Neku hoped Josh would figure out that if she was distracted by him that he would make a run for it.

Josh didn't though. He stood there with an unreadable expression on his face that didn't feel like Josh at all. Neku couldn't examine it seeing as how he felt something fly over his face. Another kunai!

"Last chance. Leave," Gabriel threatened. Within a few seconds, multiple kunai were in between each finger (except the thumb) ready to be thrown. This wasn't something that would leave Neku alive unless she pinned him to the wall and left him there.

"You're the one that needs to leave!"

Neku had one chance. Gabriel had no idea that the teen still had a working pin so he would use this and make a run for it. He waited for her to throw the kunai at him. Josh yelled at Neku to just run before he got skewered. Neku waited for the perfect moment. He watched as Gabriel hesitated before finally working the courage to throw the weapons his way. At the last moment, Neku used the psyche pin to catch them all in midair before they hit his body. Gabriel gasped.

"I underestimated you…" Gabriel said softly.

Neku threw the weapons back at her. He had no intention of killing her but if this worked, she would be pinned against the wall. The problem was that his aim wasn't all that great. He wasn't in the UG so of course he didn't have absolute control over the weapon and it didn't help that Gabriel moved out of the way and dodged every single kunai. Neku cursed to himself for assuming she would just stand there and take the hit.

"Useless." Gabriel sounded almost proud of herself for dodging her own weapons. Neku growled as he took a step back. He really needed to think further ahead. "Now that you know that it's useless to fight me, I suggest you surrender before…"

Gabriel's voice trailed off when a gentle breeze hit her chest. Neku couldn't stop his jaw from dropping. He quickly covered his mouth before he could say anything. The Composer in comparison raised an eyebrow before he hummed in amusement. Gabriel noticed their reactions and made the mistake to look down. Her eyes widened in horror seeing two lumps jiggling along with some strips from her clothes on the ground.

"Ah…"

"I didn't…uh…" Neku started but he couldn't find the words.

"No…no…no…no…noooooooooooooooooooooo!"

Even a quiet girl like Gabriel was capable of having a girly scream. Josh burst into laughter at the scene before him. The kunai might have missed her body but with how Gabriel moved, the kunai did in fact slash her clothes. Eight kunai were enough to hilariously tear at her shirt and the upper portion of her pants. Neku wondered why she wasn't wearing a bra but seeing as how binder straps were on the ground with her clothes, it was obvious why she didn't want them in the way.

"How indecent," Josh hummed. "Even angels get naked when it's dark."

Gabriel shook her head. She immediately sat down on the ground and covered her chest. "No! No! No! No one is supposed to see that! Now Michael will think lowly of me! Noooooooooooo!"

"Your chest isn't that big anyway," Josh taunted.

"JOSH!" Neku wanted to throw himself at Josh. Who the hell says that? Then again, Gabriel was their enemy.

Josh smiled as he rushed over to Neku's side. "Yes?"

"Why the hell would you say that! That's terrible!"

"But Neku, you're the terrible person," Josh purred. "I didn't think you would actually strip the poor girl. What if someone sees?"

Oh, hell no! Neku was not going to be accused of being a pervert for protecting himself and his friend. Josh giggled as Neku used Gabriel's distress to run away. It wouldn't be long until they were at Miyashita Park's Underpass. Honestly, Neku didn't know where to go from there. Home didn't sound like a good idea when there were killer angels (except Gabriel who was more cute than deadly) on his tail. It was also very late so if Neku tried to go anywhere else, someone would notice that two teenagers were out late and yell at them to go home…and that wouldn't be good for Josh.

Really, Neku didn't have a concrete plan, and Josh had no problem calling him out.

"Neku, I admire your courage but I hope you know where you're going."

"Uhhhh…"

An exaggerated sigh happened before Neku could come up with a coherent answer that pleased Josh and himself.

"S-Shut up! So what if I didn't think things through! I'm not letting you stay in there!"

Neku wished he could read his friend. Despite Josh's mockery, he knew that it was forced. Josh knew that he was forcing himself to pretend that nothing happened. However, Neku caught the way his lips curved into a small smile. His eyes didn't match the tiny smile he had though. They felt empty, devoid of life…

"Seriously, Neku…where do you intend to go? They'll find me…" Josh sounded so tired and defeated that Neku wished he could say something positive. Alas, Josh was in trouble because of him.

"It's my fault," Neku said rather quickly. "But I'll make it up. J-Just follow my lead."

"Using my words against me. How charming…"

Really, Neku just needed to trust his instincts and take Josh back home. Surely, the angels wouldn't follow him home and put his father in danger. After all, angels were supposed to protect outsiders from any sort of danger…

The tension in the pass only worsened. Josh felt something demonic and froze up. One could mistake Josh as a human Popsicle and no one would notice. Neku failed to check his surroundings. No one was in front or behind them so Neku didn't know why Josh appeared so startled.

"Josh, what's wro-"

Josh let out a shriek. Neku knew something was wrong. Then again, he felt a cold hand on his shoulder. That alone gave Neku the answer.

"Neku!"

The cold hand suddenly dragged Neku backwards. He gasped at the sudden force and his first reaction was to kick away from whoever grabbed him. Problem was that it wasn't a person but a thing that had appeared from the shadows of the wall and grabbed him.

"You have got to be kidding me!" Neku cried out.

The hand had appeared from a shadow in the pillar. How the hell was an angel capable of doing this? This seemed like the power of a Reaper but it clearly wasn't. Josh wouldn't look so scared if that was the case. Neku feared for Josh seeing how a huge shadow was below Josh.

"Get out of here!" Neku screamed before he got pulled into the darkness.

* * *

Neku thought he died for the nth time when darkness took hold of him. Alas, fate wasn't that cruel to him. Neku didn't know if he should consider himself lucky. After all, the last thing he wanted was to end up right back at Wildcat Café and see the angry faces of the adults who he clearly pissed off. God, Neku wished he had a solution out of this one.

"See? No problem, Michael," a pompous voice said. "You did not need to send Gabriel out. The poor girl is probably freezing to death."

"Why didn't you do that sooner?!" a loud voice questioned. "We wasted even more time because of your lack of cooperation!"

"Really, Ariel? You shouldn't be blaming me for the brat being taken away by his boyfriend."

Boyfriend?! Oh, did Neku want to punch this angel. Yet when he tried sitting up, he realized that his body was being held down by something. He felt like heavy weights were forcing him to stay down. The only thing he could do was raise his head and potentially sit up but he probably should have pretended to pass out after hitting his head on the floor.

Ariel grumbled something under his breath. "Michael, finish up what you started."

Yeah, Neku wasn't going to let these adults have their way with Josh! Compared to Neku, Josh had a softer landing but that meant he couldn't pretend to faint. Whatever spell Michael casted on him was completely gone and he continued to shiver in their presence. This was so un-Joshua. The fact that he didn't say anything added to how out of character it was.

"Don't move, kid," Rafael started. "My curse might actually eat your life force away if you resist."

Like Neku gave a fuck. "You think I'm going to let you kill Josh?! Fat chance!"

Neku thought he hit the mark with the pregnant silence. He wondered if they would kill him after finishing up what they started. Would Mr. H allow that to happen in his own café? Surely he wouldn't let these angels have their way…right?!

"Kill?" Michael asked quietly. "W-What do you mean?"

Compared to the other two angels, Michael sounded genuine. That was clearly a rouse to let his guard down though!

"Whatever you were doing, you were trying to kill him!"

A snicker could be heard before a nasty laugh from one of the angels. Neku didn't understand. Was it something he said? Ariel wasn't amused and Michael looked horrified at the implication.

"W-What? D-Dat's not right. I would never kill anyone! I haven't killed anyone!" Michael exclaimed waving his arms in the air as if that would convince anyone of his words. "I'm not a killer!"

"Even zough killing would make things so much easier for us," Ariel growled. "You always have to take the pacifist route. It's disgusting."

"Hey, something Ariel and I can agree on," Rafael managed to say once he finished laughing.

Neku didn't understand. They weren't going to kill Josh? Then why did Josh look so scared? What were they doing to him that Mr. H approved of?

"This is why kids are so annoying to deal with," Rafael continued. "Next, you're going to try and explain yourself and ask for forgiveness despite your status."

Rafael addressed Michael with such disdain that the poor angel crumbled within a second. Ariel rolled his eyes with disapproval but didn't bother standing up for the Italian man (at least, that's what Neku thought his nationality was).

Mr. H finally spoke and he sounded nothing like Neku was used to. It was bad enough that he heard the barista angry. Now, he sounded exhausted and…rather emotionless to the point that it was creepy.

"Joshua's punishment for reckless endangerment in the RG is his status as Composer being revoked along with his powers. This is the decision Michael made."

Mr. H made it clear that it was Michael's decision, thus confirming that despite his weak personality, he was indeed the leader of the four angels.

"If I had a say in it, zat reckless brat would have been erased," Ariel threatened. "Unfortunately, zis idiot here is too soft for his own good so he's only going to revoke ze title of Composer indefinitely."

Just saying the word indefinitely caused Joshua to stir. He looked up to the redhead weakly. Neku had never seen Josh like this before. It broke his heart to see him like this.

"You can't…" Joshua spoke. He wanted to say more but his voice was still strained. He was holding himself back from something…

"We can," Rafael hummed. "Bad kids get punished. In my world, you would be dead. Then again, the more I look at you, the more I think you would rather die than have your powers taken away from you."

"I…" Josh's voice trailed off. "Don't…without it, I'll…"

Neku opened his mouth to protest but Rafael seemed to get a kick out of Joshua's suffering. He smiled cutely as he finally stood up from the stool he was sitting on.

"You'll go back to being a normal human. It was like you were never the Composer. Man, that sounds so nice to be able to go back amongst the world of the living after dying before. You can see your family again, talk to those friends who miss you dearly and get your life back together. Oh, wait." Rafael's expression blackened. Neku took one look at Rafael and wished he never saw the angel's face. It was like looking at a demon instead of an angel. "You don't have anyone like that."

"Rafael!" Michael yelled catching his attention. "Stop…"

The damage was already done. Neku quickly glanced to Mr. H hoping, praying that the man would fucking stand up for Josh. Why was he letting this angel walk all over Josh? It wasn't right!

"Mr. H, say something!" Neku exclaimed. His thoughts ended up being voiced but to his horror and disappoint, Mr. H found the floor more interesting than Josh.

"…It's not my place, Phones…" Mr. H said in an emotionless tone. "Joshua has gotten warnings in the past but he was pardoned before. He knows better and allowed this to happen again. I can't…"

"It's not permanent!" Michael cut in. "We'll be observing him from a distance. As long as Yoshiya calms down and understands why his powers were taken away, then we will return it. Right now, I do not fink that it is wise to allow Yoshiya alone with his powers now…it's very corrupted."

Corrupted? What the hell did Michael mean by that? The expression Michael wore suddenly switched to something serious.

"I do need to research why his powers have become this corrupted. Hopefully, your mind will clear up when you are no longer the Composer."

"But what will happen to the UG?" Neku asked. "Without a Composer, everything would fall apart!"

"Didn't you hear Michael, you dumb kid?" Ariel asked darkly. "We will be stationed here until we know that ze prissy brat over zere can behave himself. We will handle all affairs of the UG and RG until further notice. We'll do a better job of it."

It really hurt Neku to hear all of these insults thrown at Josh. The fact he couldn't fight back hit home. The orange haired teen noticed that Josh was trying his very best to keep it together. Was he going to cry? No…that wasn't the Josh he knew.

"I'm sorry but dis must be done," Michael apologized. "I am sorry, Sanae, that I have to do this. Power dat is corrupted cannot be allowed to run rampart."

"No…I understand," Mr. H told him. "Michael, you better figure out what's wrong."

"Y-Yeah…I just need to do one more thing before we will be leaving for the evening." Michael reached into his pocket and pulled out a pin. It looked different from the pins that Neku had seen. This one had a purple magatama shape that had a similar glow to Joshua's light. Josh's eyes widened in horror as he tried to stand up but Rafael's magic pinned him down. "With dis, your powers will officially be sealed."

"Nonononono…" Neku stared in horror at Josh. He wasn't keeping it together after all. "You can't. You can't make me go back!"

"I'm sorry," Michael apologized genuinely. "Dis is something dat has to be done."

Joshua refused to believe these angels wanted the best for him. He tried his hardest to activate his powers now in hopes of getting away. Michael had already extracted everything while Neku had been waiting outside the café. The last thing to do was just to seal it off and prevent any powers from leaking out in case Michael missed anything.

"No! I won't!"

"Don't make this harder than it needs to be," Ariel snarled. "I would have shot you if Michael wasn't so merciful."

Michael chose to keep his mouth shut and finish up the job. Neku needed to do something but now that he knew that murder was not on Michael's mind, his struggling subsided. Still, he felt so helpless. What could he say or do? Doing something got them back in this situation, and Mr. H refused to take action.

"Sanae…" Josh called out. God, Josh's voice quivering like that broke Neku's heart.

"Mr. H!"

If Neku wasn't feeling so angry, he might have caught Mr. H's fists shaking. His silence spoke so much to the two teens. It was his final decision. Focusing on Mr. H made the two forget about Michael. The magatama pin shined brighter than before. This time, Josh wasn't in a trance and that meant the pain that came from the extraction would come. Neku expected it with the noises he made while hypnotized but now it was certain. Josh clutched his chest as if trying to stop the pin from sucking his life force out.

"Josh!" Neku shouted. He tried to move but Rafael refused to let him help the Composer out.

"Sit there and watch," Rafael ordered coldly.

"It won't last long…" Michael added. "Relax, Yoshiya. It will hurt if you resist."

Alas, Josh refused to obey like a stubborn child. He struggled from the shadow's grip and against the magatama. He desperately tried to get his powers to activate. Michael's expression changed before he suddenly flicked his finger. Any resistance Josh had vanished immediately. Neku wanted to know what the hell the angel did just now.

At the moment, something came out of Josh's body. Rafael stood up and immediately got the shadows to disappear. Neku fell flat on his stomach at the sudden action. This was Neku's chance to help Josh. However, just because he was free didn't mean much when Michael was finished. Rafael changed the shape of the shadow. Now instead of hands, the shadow took a shape of a lantern. Whatever came out of Josh's body was drawn into the lantern and while this happened, Michael forced the magatama pin onto Josh's chest. These events happening simultaneously were essential for sealing the Composer's corrupted power.

"Damn, this kid is loaded," Rafael said as a matter of fact.

"Don't, drop it," Ariel hissed. "Heavens forbid that the Composer's power gets leaked throughout Shibuya."

Rafael rolled his eyes and focused his attention toward Michael. Once the pin was forced onto Josh, the teen collapsed in the older man's arms. Neku wasted no time getting up. Michael flinched feeling Neku's rage.

"It's done," Michael said softly. "Please don't look at me like dat."

Neku didn't care what Michael had to say. These angels still hurt Josh even if it was "for his own good". Again, Neku pushed Michael away from Josh again and took the shorter male into his arms. Josh was still breathing despite the loss of color in his eyes. It wouldn't be long until Josh woke up and realized what they have done. Neku didn't want to be around when Josh would have his inevitable breakdown. Still…even if Neku blamed himself for what happened to Josh, the person he couldn't forgive at the moment was the man he idolized standing there with a blank expression.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is where Laura would have left off for this chapter. Her writing and my writing are different as night and day no matter how much I try to replicate it to not ruin the flow of the story.
> 
> When she was talking about using angels to take Josh's powers, I volunteered for her to use my OCs since it meant less work creating them for her and I would just give advice on how to write them. Granted, these are archangels but angel is written until it is corrected later on because there isn't much of a different at the moment.
> 
> Michael, Gabriel, Ariel and Rafael are all my characters. Any other OC belongs to Laura. The one who is going to have the biggest focus is Rafael though given how he's the most antagonistic of the bunch. It's why I gave the most info about him to Laura.
> 
> Michael is the leader of the group. He looks dangerous but he's a huge crybaby and trembles at the drop of a hat (literally his top hat). He has huge self-esteem issues, is super shy and overall thinks lowly of himself. Alas, he's a pacifist and refuses to kill anyone even if things would be easier that way. His heart is the reason why the others follow him.
> 
> Gabriel is the commander of the group. This makes it seem like she's second in command but it means that she has a smaller army at her side. She doesn't talk much at all. She was trained to be a soldier that followed orders from her superior. Alas, Michael's softness rubbed off on her so even though she's a trained killer, she hesitates because of Michael's kindness. She has a soft spot for animals and she's insecure about her body.
> 
> Ariel is the fire wielder of the group. He's the oldest of the group and also the one with the shortest temper. He is Michael's childhood friend and is overprotective of him. That doesn't stop him from attacking and yelling at him when Michael refuses to do his job correctly or when he doesn't stand up for himself. Ariel has zero tolerance for incompetence and disobedience and is quick to pull the trigger. It's a good thing he's not the leader or there would be death everywhere. 
> 
> Rafael is the healer of the group. He's the youngest in the group and he's also the biggest asshole as shown in this chapter. He is snarky, cruel and rather dismissive of his duties. He only cares about Michael given how nice the other treats him. In fact, his view of people is very low given he puts Michael on the highest of pedestals. Yes, he is aware of Michael's flaws and exploits them to get what he wants. Despite being a healing angel, he has dark magic hinting at a darker origins. Neku and Josh need to watch out for him.
> 
> Fun facts about the Italian language: the h is silent unless it's a modifier for c and g. Th is non-existent so words like think (fink), this (dis), these (zese) and thighs (tights) end up being examples. Michael has an Italian accent and Ariel has a German accent. Gabriel is actually Japanese so she speaks normally in this story and while Rafael has somewhat of an accent, as brought up, he's capable of fixing his accent to wherever he is to not draw attention to himself.
> 
> So yeah, this is where the story truly begins. Josh's punishment for his actions is losing his status as Composer temporarily. Neku did get his wish of having Josh but at the cost of Josh not being able to be himself. We'll see the aftermath and the fallout that Josh will have with Mr. H afterwards.


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And thus this chapter begins my writing style and not Laura's writing style. Again, I have a vague outline that Laura had and all the PM messages of what she wanted to happen and opinions etc. I can only write what I hope is what she could have wanted.
> 
> NOTE: This chapter has been done for a month but my beta reader is focusing on his studies in college. So the current chapter is unbetaed by him. When he gets back, he'll probably lecture me on not checking the chapter and then do it (and that is when I'll re-upload the chapter unless someone catches the mistakes before hand).

_**A lamenting goddess left this prophecy for the five warring kingdoms below: that their world would end in blackest sun-fire.** _

_**Yet her prophecy held hope. The goddess promised to all living things, great and small, a saving Light to ward off their doom.** _

_**But the five kings would not believe her. So one sought strength and found futility; so another sank in mindless wisdom.** _

_**In the end, the kings' delusions led them to a chamber of reckoning, where their unspent chaos brought fear and woe to all.** _

_**"Now, as the boy stands before Eden, the five kings in his wake, the goddess rewards his balanced judgment with her Light.** _

* * *

Neku didn't feel like getting out of bed. Why would he? Last night exhausted him to the point that he just wanted to waste the Sunday away. There wasn't any school so no harm done with hiding underneath the sheets. His father wasn't burning the house right now and he wouldn't wake up with a gun pointed to his head.

Neku trembled from the cold. Autumn might have been Neku's favorite season, but God, why was everything so cold? And where the hell was his blanket? Subconsciously, Neku reached for the warm blanket but grabbed air. He groaned as he tried to grab the blanket again. A frustrated growl escaped his lips. Whoever took the blanket was nothing short of evil!

It was then did Neku force himself to wake up. He blinked and saw that his blanket was to the side of him. The blanket thief was none other than the Composer…or the former Composer in this case. The anger that built from losing his blanket evaporated immediately. Josh had wrapped the blanket around him like a burrito and refused to move. The only way Neku was going to get his blanket back was if Josh got up to use the restroom. Otherwise, Neku was stuck shivering on the other side of the bed.

The young man groaned and checked his phone to see the time. 9:00. Too early to think. Sleep needed him.

Despite those thoughts, Neku couldn't stop himself from thinking about what happened yesterday. Hanging out with all of his friends should have been one of his happiest days yet. Because he opened his big mouth, the day was ruined and Josh's powers were taken from him as punishment. No longer would he be running around with a gun and shooting him with an unlimited amount of bullets. No longer would he have access to the Reaper's Game. He couldn't even go to the God's Pad. He had been reduced to a normal human being.

The thought alone would have been hilarious. How often did Josh act normal during the second week of the Reaper's Game only to relish in the fact he was fighting for his life. Hell, Neku would have taken a few potshots for Josh getting put in timeout.

It was Mr. H. The guy who Neku looked up to betrayed Josh's trust. He said it was for Josh's own good and it might as well been…had those angels not been brought into the picture. Why couldn't Mr. H remove the powers himself? He clearly knew more about Josh than anyone else. Why did outsiders have to interfere? Would Josh not have felt the pain or been aware of it had Neku just not interfered?

The fallout wasn't a pleasant memory in the slightest…

* * *

"So, that is why we will be stationing in Shibuya until further notice."

Neku recalled how the angels acted once they finished their job. Michael proved to follow through with his word. He would leave the café with the other archangels and prepare for the takeover of the Dead God's Pad. From now on, until they felt that Josh was ready, they would take over the Reaper's Game. From now on, the four angels would be monitoring Shibuya and making the final decision of whether to keep the city alive. From now on…Josh wasn't the Composer anymore.

Joshua not being the Composer sounded so wrong. Yet, the angels achieved the impossible. It wouldn't be long until Josh woke up and realized what had happened. At least he wouldn't be able to throw a temper tantrum resulting in the death of those around him.

However, Josh's extreme mood swing was why he was in this situation in the first place. Never mind that Neku ratted him out by accident! How was he going to break the bad news to his friend? "Oh, I accidentally told Mr. H that you tried to kill me again and he reported you. I'm sorry, are we still friends?" Neku could only imagine how badly the silver haired boy would react.

Ariel explained to Mr. H a few more things before the four of them took off. Neku wished they didn't return. At the same time, he didn't want to be stuck in the room with his idol (who was probably still angry with him) and an unconscious ex-Composer. How was Neku going to be able to break the tension?

"Mr. H, I-"

"Why did you not leave with your friends when I closed shop?"

Neku's heart missed a beat. He tensed up looking at his idol. Dammit, he was still giving him that angry, disappointed look of a father. Neku couldn't break eye contact though.

"Because I was worried about Josh…" Neku muttered. Why couldn't he sound confident in his answer? "I didn't want him to be killed because of me…"

"When you eavesdrop, you don't have all the information," Mr. H told him darkly. "As long as Michael is the leader of those four angels, no harm will come to Josh. All you did was make his subordinates weary of both of us now."

"Why you though? You reported the incident that happened!"

"I'm not pleased it had to come to this, Neku. The last thing Josh needs to do is make his powers aware to those in the Realgrounds. It would be a disaster if the world of the living found out about the world of the dead."

He had a point, but it was Josh! This was the same guy who took care of him before Josh entered the Reaper's Game and afterward. Why throw the Composer under the bus now? Surely, Josh must have done worse things during the time he was a Composer…right?

Josh started to stir. Neku's entire attention turned to the silver haired teen. If Mr. H was going to say something, he wouldn't now that Josh woke up.

"Josh," Neku started. His voice cracked. Already, he knew that Josh would pick up on it.

"N-Neku…where…"

For a few seconds, Josh was in a daze. When those seconds passed, the pained expression he had when he woke up switched to one of absolute fury. Good thing it wasn't directed at Neku. An angry Josh was worse than a crazy Josh…

"You traitor!" Josh had screamed at Mr. H. "Why did you tell them?!"

"I told you why," Mr. H started explaining. He remained calm even in a situation like this. "You lost control of your emotions and caused a huge problem. The angels would have taken extreme actions if I left you the way you were."

And Neku believed Mr. H. Besides their leader, all three of those angels were dangerous as hell. They were armed and their eyes were filled with nothing but bloodlust.

"Liar!" Josh spat. "You just wanted to save your own skin like you always do!"

"Josh-"

"I'm not stupid! I know what you did behind my back during the game! You knew why that rule with the Taboo Noise is in place and you still allowed that idiot to use them!"

Neku had so many questions about what the two were referring to. He and Beat only got speculations from the third week about what was going on and it ended up being a red herring on Mr. H's end. But, the problem stemmed from the rule of Taboo Noise. Those Noise were difficult to deal with and could have killed Neku during the second and third week of the Reaper's Game. Just bringing it up caused Mr. H to stiffen. He adjusted his glasses and eyed Josh carefully.

"You know why I did it."

"And that doesn't make things right. The game was between Megumi and me. You had no right to interfere!" Josh's expression darkened. "How many times are you going to betray me until you're satisfied?"

Neku blinked. Why did Josh's voice sound off right at that moment? Yes, he was angry but the accusations thrown didn't sound anything like his friend.

"…It was for your own good," Mr. H stated. "Hate me if you want but when you made that decision, I could not afford to have you make the same mistake-"

The silver haired teen refused to hear Mr. H out. (Even if Mr. H was going into details about the past that Neku desired to know, if Josh wasn't going to listen, he would have to figure things out in due time.) Like any angry teen, he turned his back on the barista and stormed out of the café.

"Josh, wait!"

Neku's feet moved on its own as he pursued his friend. He didn't dare look at the expression Mr. H must have. Disappointment was a street that went both ways after all.

* * *

It was funny how things worked out for Neku in the worst way possible. For weeks, Neku had wanted Josh to leave the UG and join his group of friends. He got his wish and Neku would relish in that wish. At the cost of not being the Composer, Neku wondered if Josh would think that it was worth it. Last night proved that the ex-Composer was just done with everything and just accepted whatever Neku told him to do. Now that Josh was a human, his body functioned like one. The conversation they had yesterday about him not needing sleep came to mind. When given the chance yesterday, Josh passed out on Neku's bed and didn't move. No amount of complaining about his friend's dirty clothes or the fact he took up most of the bed woke Josh up.

If Neku had to guess, the moment he lost his powers was the moment fatigue hit him. He might be sleeping all day for all the orange haired teen knew. That was the other problem…Neku would have to talk to his dad about Josh staying over for a while. He needed to craft a well-supported lie. Granted, his old man was easy to fool and he was laid-back anyway. However, Neku broke his curfew and that required an explanation and Josh was the only way he would be able to not have an even earlier curfew.

Neku's train of thought came to a stop upon hearing Josh stir in his bed. The orange haired teen froze for a bit before remembering the last part of the memories from last night. The soft expression Neku saw on Josh's face once he passed out was similar to the soft countenance he made when holding onto the rabbit earlier on in the day. Disturbing Josh would have been a crime, so Neku changed into his PJs and then fell asleep next to Josh. Waking up first proved beneficial for the ex-Player. After all, who wanted to be tormented by Josh the moment he arose from the dead?

"Morning Josh. Did you sleep well?"

Of course Josh didn't respond immediately. Not needing to sleep meant he had to adapt to waking up groggy. Neku couldn't stop himself from smiling at how disfigured Josh looked. His hair was sticking up more than usual, there were dark rings under his eyes that wouldn't be there had it not been for last night. Josh's clothes were also disfigured, but Neku didn't need to be looking at that.

"Uhh…" Was the only response Neku got.

If Joshua was going to be like that for a few more minutes, then Neku had time to find his clothes and prepare for the day. When Josh was more awake, they could actually sit down and talk about what to do now.

"Neku…" His voice sounded weak and tired. "Where…"

"You're in my house," Neku answered. "Remember, I told you to come back with me."

"So you did…"

"How are you feeling?"

"Awful."

Neku could only imagine how awful Josh was feeling.

"I forgot how stressful it is to sleep," Josh continued to complain. "I can't keep my appearance like this…"

Josh probably knew he didn't look all great upon waking up. Hell, he probably had this nagging feeling that he didn't sound all that great either. Neku knew from experience that not getting a good night's sleep can affect how they will act for the rest of the day. In the past, Neku had a terrible sleep schedule. Sleeping brought nightmares. Nightmares that reminded Neku about someone he used to care about. Staying up late listening to music eased his mind, but that meant sleeping in class the next day. Most of his teacher's lectured him about not getting enough sleep, and ever since the Reaper's Game, Neku fixed his sleep schedule. His new outlook on life made him realize that sleep gave him more energy to survive the day than falling asleep during class. His father praised him for doing that amongst other things (even if Neku thought his father cried crocodile tears to make him feel bad).

"You told me yesterday that you didn't need to sleep, so I can imagine that it would be difficult to just fall back into that pattern," Neku ended up commenting. Still, didn't think you would pass out at the drop of a hat.

Josh not having a comeback surprised Neku to an extent. If he was too tired to argue, it meant he would be easier to deal with. However…that wasn't necessarily a good thing. Neku had to stop himself and wonder why the hell he appreciated Josh talking over staying silent…

Still, Josh's situation was caused by his partner tattling on him. Neku had to bring it up sooner or later. Sooner was better than later…

"H-Hey Josh…" Neku started. Damn, he didn't mean to stutter. "A-About last night…"

The memories of last night must have rushed to Josh's head. Josh went from half-asleep to wide awake in seconds. Josh looked at his hands before his expression twisted.

"…It really is gone…" Josh mumbled.

It referred to the powers of the Composer. Neku couldn't feel anything different. He may have had a strong sense to be able to recognize a great power such as Josh but without that aura that was around the Composer, it felt…completely off.

"Josh…I…I'm sorry." Josh didn't react to his apology and yet Neku felt the need to continue. "I'm really sorry! Mr. H found out about what happened at Hachiko because of me! I didn't mean it-"

Neku cut himself off. He probably dug himself an early grave. Or rather, another grave piled up on another grave. Josh had shot him three times now? What's a fourth shot going to do?

"If you're mad at me, just tell me! If you're going to shoot me…uh…don't…"

Yep, Neku knew he was asking for it. He imagined the ways Josh would extract his revenge on him for outing him and making him look bad. Perhaps if he paid a good enough attention to his friend, he would notice the lack of a reaction from him.

"…You don't need to apologize, Neku," Josh told his friend through his panic.

Now that wasn't an answer Neku prepared for. "Wait, what?"

"…Sanae would have found out eventually…" Josh muttered under his breath. "It…just happened sooner…"

Well, that didn't make the situation better. If Neku didn't know any better, Josh wasn't trying to shove the blame on him. Hell, he was still angry with Mr. H and most likely justified Neku's action in favor of blaming his parental figure. Neku shouldn't be feeling relieved. On one hand, Josh isn't going to kill him in his sleep. On the other hand, he didn't want to be the reason why Josh and Mr. H are on bad terms.

"…Did you really lose everything?" Neku blurted out. He cursed himself for being nosy. "You said "its", and I know it's your powers…but to what extent?"

Josh didn't have the energy to glare at Neku for asking. The ex-Composer found himself pulling his legs up to his chest. The last thing Neku wanted was to see his friend like this. Why the vulnerable position? It was so out of place, god dammit!

"Everything…" Josh muttered. "My powers that allowed me to ignore human functions, everything I had learned in the UG…and even the music around me is gone."

Neku paid attention to that last part. "So, are you…alive again?"

Josh stayed silent. Neku thought about the question and realized he didn't need an answer. From what Mr. H had told him, Josh had won the Reaper's Game by killing the Composer. The silver haired teen chose not to return to life but that didn't mean he couldn't live amongst the living. If he had resurrected himself after that, he might have still lived the same miserable existence. Now…couldn't he start over? Wouldn't Josh want that?

"To think…" Josh whispered to himself more than Neku. Neku still manage to catch what he said. "I can't hear your vibe anymore…"

"Hmm?" Neku chose the approach that involved pretending not to hear what Josh just said.

"…If I can't hear Shibuya's music…then chances are…I might not be able to pick up the Noise anymore either."

"…Wouldn't that be a good thing?" Neku asked.

Again, Josh remained silent. The answer wasn't as obvious as the previous one. Even if Neku considered what Josh had gone through when the people around him deemed the poor kid crazy, Josh saw the world differently. This is the same guy who lived off other people's suffering after all.

"So, what are you going to do now?"

This question was very important. It caused the ex-Composer to freeze in place. His eyes avoided looking at Neku and he ended up resting his forehead against his kneecap.

"…You can stay here as long as you like," Neku replied to his own question. "I can convince my dad for you to stay here."

"Neku, I can't…"

"Where would you be able to go Josh? I don't think you want to go back to Mr. H after what happened. If you have no powers, I don't think you can access the God's Pad anyway. Also, those angels are stationed there now and you probably want to stay far away from them too."

Just a little more and Neku could convince Josh to stay with him. The shorter male was stubborn to the core. Even if someone offered a helping hand, he wasn't going to take it easily.

"I'll…just get in the way…"

Was that really his last line of defense?

"Get in the way of what? Josh, you're my friend. Haven't I demonstrated that enough?"

They both knew the answer. Neku was the friend who would allow his murderer in his house and continue being his friend. Neku trusted that Josh wouldn't have an episode after the one in Hachiko.

"…Are…you sure?"

He sounded so shy when he asked.

"It's either me or Mr. H and I think you're too angry to deal with Mr. H now."

Josh's shoulders slumped. Neku grinned seeing the ex-Composer puff his cheeks in frustration.

"…You're taking me out shopping for clothes then," he grumbled. "And you're paying for my snacks."

Of course this was going to happen if he agreed. In all honesty, Neku had no choice unless Mr. H was kind enough to loan Josh money…but that topic wasn't in question now.

"If it gets you to stay here then…"

In a matter of seconds, Josh's mood changed. Neku wondered if he faked his worries a second just to make sure that Neku bought him stuff.

"We have to tell the others though what happened," Neku started but Josh interrupted him.

"Can you not?" Josh interrupted. "The less people that know what happened…the better…"

"Josh, they're your friends too."

And his mood vanished as quickly as that. Neku scratched his head in confusion. Why did he need to stay secretive? Was he embarrassed that he got punished for his demeanor? Did he not want to admit his screw up now?

"…Fine, I won't tell them. I still have to tell them that you got into a fight with Mr. H. Otherwise, they're going to be badgering me on why you're staying at my place."

No response. Guess Josh was still thinking about something.

"I'll tell my dad about you staying over. It really isn't an issue. Tell me when you're ready to tell them what really happened. I don't know why you're even worried."

"It's just…no…it's nothing."

And with that, Josh closed himself off and ended the conversation before Neku had a chance to interrogate him. Right now probably wasn't a good time to ask anyway. They needed to take things slowly. And that meant focusing on getting out of here and hoping that Neku's dad actually wasn't here. Even if Neku said he would ask his old man, he didn't want to know what his father would think about having someone over. He hadn't had anyone over since he was a kid so it would be very…odd.

"Josh, you're not wearing the same clothes twice," Neku began. He sighed in relief that the tension broke.

"But most of your clothes are lame," Josh complained. "You think I'm going out wearing something from Jupiter of the Monkey?"

Asshole. That's his favorite brand!

"So what? Beggars can't be choosers and if I'm buying you clothes anyway, you're going to have to wear something going out."

"…You said we were meeting with the others. You think Eri will let me live it down if I'm wearing that awful brand?"

Neku paused. He should have thought about that. Unless he went shopping with Josh alone, Eri would scream to the heavens at how Neku defiled Joshua's great taste in clothing and what not. The image gave him goosebumps simply because it would be another reminder that his fashion sense wasn't all that great.

"J-Just go get dressed!" Neku stuttered. Damn, he didn't have a good comeback. All he had were clothes. "I'm not letting you wear the same thing twice and that's final!"

Josh's bemused expression returned to his face. Neku should be happy…but he was too frustrated with his friend to feel relieved. "Oh Neku…where are your clothes from Lapin Angelique? You wore them quite nicely during the second week."

"I threw them away!" Neku exclaimed. That was a lie. Truth was someone in school asked if he could donate a few clothes for charity and Neku used that opportunity to dump all the clothes that he considered too girly.

"But you looked good in them, dear~"

"I wore it for the defense! Don't try to change the story on me!"

The playful banner had to come to an end (as much as Neku did enjoy it but he wasn't going to admit to that). They were being too loud (or it was just Neku's voice being heard throughout the house). The two froze hearing a knock on the door.

"Neku, what's going on in there?"

Crap! Wasn't his dad supposed to be out with his friends today? Or was he supposed to be mixing? Neku couldn't remember what he did on a Sunday.

"E-Everything is fine dad!"

"I'm coming in just to make sure!"

Neku's heart sank at those words. Of course he didn't lock the door so his dad was going to keep his word. He had to do something about Josh quick. The ex-Composer giggled seeing Neku rush to his wardrobe and grab the first pair of clothes that he saw. The orange haired teen threw it at his friend unaware that Josh took his advice and started changing. Neku needed Josh to change in the bathroom and not on his bed.

"Hey! Change in the bathroom! You can't be doing that!"

Even if Josh listened to the younger male, that wouldn't stop Neku's dad from coming in. Neku tried to shield Josh from his father's view and ended up tripping on his own foot and landing on top of the bed with the effeminate male.

Neku's world stopped as he forced himself to look up at the door where his dad was standing. He stared in horror that matched his dad. How the hell was he going to explain this?! He was going to explain it when they were both dressed! Dammit, why couldn't he keep his voice down? It's fine. All he had to do was damage control…yeah…damage control…

"Oh…this was why you came home late…" his father spoke in an uneven tone. Neku didn't know what to think of it.

"D-Dad, I can explain!" Neku started. In the back of his mind, Neku didn't know how to explain this.

His dad observed the person in Neku's bed with an unreadable expression. Neku had so many things he wanted to say but he wasn't used to his dad wearing a serious expression like that. Hell, he's not used to Josh going into a new "shy mode" where it would be better if he simply shut down and not say anything. The blanket proved to be Josh's friend seeing as how he had it wrapped around him tighter than he had when he was sleeping.

"I-It's not what it looks like!" Neku blurted out. Anything to relieve the tension in the room even though that made it worse.

"…Son…the reason you came home late was because of…"

Neku didn't understand why his dad suddenly burst out laughing. That was not the reaction a dad should have if his son brought another guy home and was caught in the bed!

"My son grew up and I didn't even realize it."

Uh-oh, his dad was thinking the wrong thing.

"D-Dad, that's not…"

"She's not half-bad looking either. You know how to pick them son."

Oh…

…His dad thought that Josh was a girl…

"Dad, Josh is not a girl!" Neku shouted. "And I didn't sleep with anyone!"

His dad didn't seem all that convinced. "You talk all the time about hanging with the girls but you never came home with one of them. Now you do and you try to do it behind my back-"

"Dad, stop with your fantasies! Josh had nowhere to go so I took  **him** home!"

God, it was embarrassing to correct his father like this. Now Josh had another thing to mock him for. Just the thought ruffled his jimmies!

His dad was lost. "He?"

Josh finally decided to speak. The smirk he wore on his face wasn't as confident as it normally was but it did the trick. "Sorry to burst your bubble."

His father seemed lost. "A guy…" He looked over to his son in disbelief. "Why didn't you tell me you swung that way?"

Neku just wanted to bang his head against the wall. Even Josh made a small sound in disbelief at what Neku's dad just implied.

"Dad…can you please leave. I'll explain everything when we're done getting dressed...please…"

Neku sounded so tired and desperate that his dad had no choice but to obey. He gave a worried look at his son and a skeptical look at the boy in his son's bed before slowly backing away from the door and leaving. Neku quickly jumped to his door and closed it. He shook his head in annoyance and incredulity.

"Your dad isn't anything like you," Josh began to say but Neku wasn't having it.

"Just shut up and get dressed."

* * *

After shuffling around and more shouting on Neku's end, the two teens finally changed into something comfy and went down the stairs. Neku prayed that his father had something more important to do than meddle with his affairs but his dad was waiting at the dining table with a stern expression on his face. His dad caught onto his son's habit of sneaking out of the house when he wasn't looking so it was why he continued to stare at his son.

Now, his dad got a good look at Josh with clothes on. He didn't scream "female" given it was Neku's clothes Josh had on but his dad still wasn't convinced for some strange reason. The ex-Player hated how the ex-Composer had recovered from the incident enough to have his crafty smile on his face. It screamed "arrogant" and Neku hoped it didn't give his dad the wrong impression of Josh. Even though Josh was a dick and anyone could see that.

"Well, are you going to introduce me to your friend or are you two going to run off on this fine day?"

"Dad, get it out of your brain that I'm going out with someone. That's not happening anytime soon."

Neku said nothing else about that topic. Josh already knew where he needed to sit and happily took a seat across from Neku's dad. Neku sighed in defeat before finally taking the other empty seat. Why did it feel like he was being interrogated?

"So, who is your friend?" His father asked immediately.

"This is my friend Josh. You know…the friend I've been waiting for at Hachiko for the past few weeks. We finally got in touch."

The accusations of sleeping with the "mysterious" pretty boy suddenly disappeared. His father's eyes widened before he smiled. "Oh! Why didn't you tell me?"

"Probably because you kept assuming Josh was a girl…" Neku hissed under his breath. Josh heard the orange haired teen and giggled. "Josh, this is my dad…"

"I'm Sakuraba Sora but my friends call me Sora!" His father introduced. There it is. His obnoxious attitude that made Neku question how he was related to this man.

"Kiryu Joshua…" Josh answered rather quickly. Neku caught on that Josh had no intention of using his real first name. Most people would catch on that he didn't have a western sounding name. "I apologize for the intrusion."

"No worries! But I do want to know why my son was being so secretive about it."

Here was Neku's chance!

"Josh was having family issues," Neku explained. Josh wanted to protest but shut his mouth. This lie would work because there was some truth in it. "The reason he hasn't been hanging out was because of his family. He finally hangs out and he gets into a fight with his old man…so I offered Josh a place to stay until things settle down."

Like it or not, Mr. H was the closest thing Josh had to a father. Josh didn't want to return until further notice so it was best to word the sentence to keep his father guessing.

"So you were out late because…"

"The argument happened really late…" Neku confessed. He looked over to Josh to see if he would complain about the lie. Surprisingly, Josh continued to stay silent as if pondering the events from last night. "It's okay if Josh stays, right?"

"Of course!" Sora replied without a second thought. "Any friend of Neku is welcomed. Although…" Sora's smile widened to the point that Neku compared it to that of a clown. "If a situation like what happened this morning happens again, I might have to question your "friend" status."

"Neku is my best friend," Josh purred. "I love him."

Neku wanted to die. Sora laughed at Josh's sense of humor as he stood up from his seat. "Oh, I think we're going to get along just fine."

At the very least, the worst assumption was out of the way. Neku's only problem now was that he had two obnoxious jerks to deal with instead of one now in this house.

Neku's train of thought stopped again catching a burnt scent in the air. Quickly, Neku jumped out of his seat and rushed to the stove.

"DAD! WHY AREN'T YOU WATCHING THE FOOD?!"

"…Oops…"

"You got this Neku dear."

Yep, the morning was ruined by two jerks and one couldn't bother watching the food yet again…

* * *

After throwing the burnt food into the trash and turning on the fan above the stove, Neku had to be the one to fix breakfast. He cursed and complained the whole way through about how irresponsible his dad was. Too busy actually thinking about Neku's sex life to focus on the state of the house. What if Mom came back and found the house in flames because her husband was too busy thinking about what her son stuck his dick into? That alone just frustrated Neku to no end and for many reasons.

One: Neku wasn't a people person. He already struggled to make friends. How did his dad think he would score a date with a girl?

Two: Neku had no time for a relationship. Three weeks, Neku had been in the Reaper's Game fighting for his life. That was three weeks of school missed. Josh brought him and all of his friends back to life and tweaked the memories of those around them. For Neku, the lie was that he had been in the states with his mother. He lost three weeks of school and had to catch up with all of his school work. Not just him but Shiki and Beat did too (Rhyme had it easy in comparison). The last thing on Neku's mind was a relationship.

Three: Neku wasn't gay. Simple as that. He wasn't going to have a target on his back right after returning from the Reaper's Game. The fact his dad even considered the option caused his body to shiver. It wasn't normal to like guys. It may have been normal to compliment a pretty guy though. Josh was a pretty guy who was in touch with his feminine side. Nothing wrong with that. Nope.

Those thoughts brought his mood down even after he fixed the food his dad ruined. Neku didn't feel like talking while serving them. It's not like he was there anyway. Once Neku started cooking, his dad started asking questions about the two of them. How did they meet? What have the two done together in the three weeks Neku wasn't home? What did Josh have in common with his son? His dad at least was wise enough to not ask about the family drama. Josh wouldn't talk about Mr. H like that anyway…

And the conversation only got worse when Neku joined them. His dad as nosy as ever asked him similar questions about Josh. A part of the ex-Player felt his dad asked to see if the story matched. Neku's memory hadn't failed him and his answers were nearly identical to what Josh had said. ("That's my soulmate~" "Shut up, you jerk.")

As quickly as Neku had sat at the table did he get up and finish eating. Josh's giggling didn't help Neku's mood. Why couldn't he read the atmosphere? Did losing his powers prevent Josh from feeling something was off? Or was he just enjoying his suffering? His dad promised to wash the dishes and despite worrying that his dad would break a plate and cut himself, Neku caved in. He wanted to leave from his house and talk to his friends. He wouldn't have to deal with his father teasing him about Josh even when he had told him time and time again it wasn't like that. Their friends needed to be up to date on the situation. Maybe they'll show sympathy toward Josh and help him out…or not. Beat would find a way to make life hard for the both of them.

Neku thanked his lucky stars that they finally left the house. Neku had everything he needed before heading out (money and his cellphone. If he went out without either, he would be in trouble!) Josh whined about still being hungry but Neku knew better. Josh's appetite didn't catch up to him yet now that he was alive again. Give it a few hours and maybe it will be convincing.

Now that the two were walking the streets alone, Neku could finally think. What was he going to do with Josh? How are his friends going to react to the sudden change of events? How much money would he have to spend? Did he even have a choice in this matter? Hell, he would have to think about other things like school too. Neku couldn't take him and Josh would be alone for at least eight hours of six days. There wasn't much to do in the house and the last thing Neku wanted was for Josh to wonder Shibuya alone. As a Composer, he'd be able to phase in and phase out whenever he chose. Now, he had no choice but to stay in the UG meaning people were likely to notice and/or even recognize him.

So many things going through Neku's head and he failed to notice Josh giggling next to him.

"Neku, are you ever going to tell me why you're not like your father?" The question dragged Neku back to reality.

"Hmm…what?"

"Come on Neku. I see the resemblance but I don't see the brooding persona from him. Care to explain?"

Oh, that question again? Dammit. Why did Josh care about that so much?

"I have my mom's personality. Isn't it obvious?" Neku answered with another question. "I just got my dad's looks…"

"Ehh? So your mom is the brooding one? I can't imagine someone with your personality with someone with so much energy."

"I can't either," Neku admitted. "I don't even know how they got together."

That was the honest truth. His parents were as different as night and day. His mother was a hard working workaholic with almost no social skills. His father was a jolly, friendly, stay at home (most of the time) slacker. There might have been a time or two his dad told him how he met his mom but nothing that stood out in Neku's mind. If he had to guess, the ex-Player probably ignored his dad when he rambled on about his younger days.

"…You're very lucky Neku…"

Neku caught that. He looked over to Josh and noticed the gloomy expression he had. At first, he wanted to agree but he knew bragging wouldn't make the situation better. He met the Kiyru family. He saw how Josh's mother coped with her son's death. He witnessed how distant Josh's father was. Remembering that his mom was happy that her son was dead would kill the heart of any child.

"Surely, you have someone you see as a parent," Neku said instead of what Josh expected (which was to agree with the statement).

At that, Josh fell silent. Yeah, there was Mr. H and there was no denying that. Yet, the look in his eye…so distant…

Neku wanted to pry into Josh's mind again but both stopped walking. The orange haired teen immediately noticed something was off. They were just walking and there wasn't anyone around. Instead, the area became black like they were going into the UG.

"What the hell?!" Neku shouted. Seriously, what was going on?

Josh tensed up. Without his powers, he was a sitting duck. The two teens found out what was going on when a black hole opened in front of them and out came a familiar shadow. It was the same one from last night…

" _ **The archangels would like to speak to you two."**_

So now the shadow can speak now?!

" _ **Come."**_

The shadow really wasn't giving them the time of day. Having to go back into the darkness didn't ease Neku's worries that well. Looking at Josh, he was no different.

"…We might as well get it over with…" Neku groaned.

"But what about your friends?"

"Hopefully it won't take long…"

Really, Neku wanted nothing to do with the angels but what choice did they have. Rafael demonstrated yesterday they couldn't escape so this is what he had to do…

* * *

The two teens returned to the café sooner than anticipated. Neku groaned at how it hadn't even been twelve straight hours before they were back to the one place they didn't want to be. What the hell did the angels want now? Haven't they caused enough problems as it is?

The first thing Neku expected was Mr. H waiting for them. However, the barista was nowhere to be found. Hell, the place was empty as usual. Only two of the four angels were in the café instead of Mr. H.

"Why didn't you do this last night Michael?"

Neku's eyebrow twitched. Of course it was the asshole angel that summoned them. Of course it had to be the one that Neku disliked the most. Out of all the angels, Neku had the urge to protect Josh from Rafael. Neku only needed to take a quick glance to see that Josh kept his head down the moment he heard Rafael's voice.

"I'm sorry, Rafael, but dis is an important step for rehabilitation."

So they're really going to claim that stealing Joshua's powers was for rehabilitation now? Who did they take them for?

"Welp, I brought them in. Good luck talking to angry children."

Rafael's voice sounded more condescending than Josh would ever be. That's the surprising part was that Neku never expected to meet someone with a worse personality than the silver haired teen next to him.

"I'm sorry for suddenly calling you back. Dis was very important and I needed to clarify dis information with you before zings get too out of hand."

Neku kept his guard up as did Josh. Just because this adorable giant said something didn't mean that there was malicious intent. Neku made the mistake to look into those big eyes. Bad idea! Very bad idea! Big eyes are for the people who aren't liars! This is really-really bad!

"Uh…I don't think-"

Michael continued to stare at the boys with anticipation. "Please, take a seat so we can talk. I promise I will not waste your time."

Michael was courteous enough to say "please". Next, he'll say "thank you" for the smallest gesture. The leader of the angels waited patiently for the two to comply. Josh gave in rather easily but it was less Michael and more because of the angel behind him. If obeying Michael kept Rafael's mouth shut, then he would do it immediately. Neku sighed to himself. There wasn't much he could do but listen to the older male and hope things didn't escalate.

Once the two teens took a seat, Michael quickly bowed his head. Neku was surprised the top hat didn't fall off when he did that.

"I'm so sorry about last night," Michael apologized. "My friends aren't usually so…mean."

Mean? Of all the words to describe the other three angels, he used 'mean'?

"Yes, because one pointing a gun at me, one trying to kill me with her ninja tools and one threatening to curse me is totally mean," Neku blurted out before he had a chance to stop himself. It's how he felt in all honesty.

"I'm sorry…"

"If you're sorry, you can always give my powers back," Josh huffed.

"I cannot do dat," Michael told the younger male as he raised his head. Michael had the oddest expression. Neku could describe it as stern and concerned at the same time. "As a Composer, you understand why you cannot hold onto your powers at the moment."

Josh shrugged his shoulders. "Sanae ratted me out. I'm not surprised."

"Sanae is worried for you, as am I," Michael started.

"Save your sympathy for someone who needs it," Josh interrupted. "Are you going to tell us why we are back here or are you wasting our time?"

"Eek! I'm sorry!" Michael apologized again. Neku noted how pathetic it was for Josh's superior to apologize to him for doing the right thing.

"Michael, stop wasting time," Rafael complained in the background.

"I'm sorry…" Michael mumbled. He took a deep breath and recomposed himself. "My friends would have preferred for you to figure what to do now dat you don't have your powers, but I have suggestions so you're not stuck in one place. Sanae said you would avoid others if given the opportunity."

Josh folded his arms and groaned. Neku wondered why he was even here if Michael was just talking to the ex-Composer.

"Now dat you're a human, you have to live like one until we angels finish figuring out what is wrong with your corrupted powers. Your friend is helping you out…right?"

Now that was Neku's cue to speak. "It's Sakuraba Neku."

"R-Right, Neku." Michael insisted on the first name and Neku blamed the western culture for using first names. "W-Well…I know my friends aren't really happy with de steps I've gone to help but I…asked de assembly to forge documents for you so you can attend school and-"

"Excuse me?" Josh asked darkly. He glared daggers at the shy angel before him. "You can't just decide things without my consent!"

Michael shrieked again. Neku felt bad for the guy. This was the sole reason why Rafael was even with Michael. If his superior chickened out, he had to back him up.

"We can you brat. You should be grateful that Michael is attempting to make your life easier while you're on probation," Rafael spoke. He started to approach Michael and speak next to him instead of wondering around the café like a lost customer. "Forged documents aren't easy to make. You got to get the approval of those jerk assembly members and then you got to go to the judge to approve it. Michael had to research the best school to attend and everything."

"I didn't ask," Josh responded.

"You don't need to brat."

"Dat's enough Rafael," Michael interrupted. "Either way, Yoshiya, I feel like it would be healthy for you to return to the normal high school life until we finish our research."

Neku didn't exactly agree to this. He just wanted Josh to return to him but not only does Josh have to stay with him but now Josh was going to be attending school. If Neku had to guess, it would be the same one he was currently attending.

"I assume its Aoyoma High School?" Neku asked.

Michael nodded his head in agreement. "Correct. If Yoshiya is already living with you, then surely he can attend the same school as you."

"Nope."

Neku glanced over to Josh. His eyes were glittering again and not in the good way. The orange haired teen felt his stomach twist seeing the defeated look Josh gave to Michael. Looking down, Neku could see his fists were clenched tightly underneath the table.

"If you did your research, then you should know Yoshiya Kiryu is dead," the ex-Composer explained. "You are really going to enroll me in the same school where I ended my life?"

Well, this was news for Neku. Neku gaped but couldn't find the words.

"Seeing as how it's the same school your boyfriend is attending, yes," Rafael said as a matter of fact statement. "Better to be with people you know then go to an entirely different school for convenience's sake."

"B-Besides, your death was ten years ago!" Michael added. "Everyone you know would have graduated or retired!"

"Ten years?!" Neku exclaimed.

Josh suddenly noticed that Neku was next to him this entire time. He forced his smirk when speaking with his friend. "Surprised Neku? I'm your senior."

"No way…you're twenty-five?!"

"Why do you sound so shocked Neku dear?~"

"Uh! Don't call me that! That's creepy! You're ten years older than me!"

"And he acts the same age as you," Rafael added. "Age is just a number for us angels and the dead anyway. If he looks fifteen, he is fifteen. Kind of like how I'm twenty-six in human years and I'm still the brat's senior."

"Rafael, dat's not important," Michael told him. "B-Back on topic, we knew that Yoshiya Kiryu would raise red flags so Sanae told me about your nickname. It's written as Joshua Kiryu instead."

"That is the most half-ass attempt at a forged document I have ever seen," Rafael said bluntly. "People with a brain might put two and two together but as you know, people change in ten years. It wouldn't be odd to see someone who looked like a dead kid to attend under a similar name."

Michael opened his mouth again to speak but Neku still needed to process the information. Josh was living with him now and would be attending the same school. Josh died in the very school Neku attended and his death occurred ten years ago. Josh had been the Composer for ten years. Ten lonely years with only Sanae and Megumi as the people who he could confide in. Minus Josh's few breakdowns, Neku needed to know how Josh was able to endure the hardships for ten years and not turn out worse. Michael said Josh's powers were corrupted but it wasn't bad enough that warranted being erased. Why was all of this information coming at him now?

"For dis reason, I hope for you to work with me here…"

Oh, Michael was still talking.

"Honestly, you claim that you're doing what is best for me but all you're doing is forcing me to relive my life before the Reaper's Game…" Josh growled.

"But…"

"If you're supposed to sympathize with my plight, why do you insist on it?"

"Because you're not going to freeload off of your boyfriend over there until further notice," Rafael answered. "You should be a good boy and not refuse Michael's offer."

Michael opened his mouth to speak but could not find the words to argue back. Neku noticed how furrow Michael's brows were. If Neku already couldn't stand being in Rafael's presence, he couldn't imagine how Michael felt. Then again, Neku made a mental note that he shouldn't feel pity toward the people who were making life difficult for his friend.

"Again, I believe dat because you are living with your friend dat what happened to you before won't happen again." Michael smiled softly to Josh as a way to reassure the younger male that his suggestion wouldn't be bad. "Something I learned from researching the research game is dat you must trust your partner. You trust Neku, don't you?"

Michael's question was straight to the point. Neku wanted to know what Josh thought about him. Sanae said one thing but Josh contradicted him constantly. He could never get a full read on the silver haired teen. But Neku already made it clear to Josh that while it would take some time to forgive him, he trusted him as his partner.

"…Fine…" Josh finally said. "Do what you want with the enrollment. Just don't expect me to play along at school."

Michael's eyes sparkled once Josh consented to his idea. "You will? Great! I'll let Ariel know!"

"…Michael, you're our leader. You don't need his approval," Rafael reminded him.

"Huh? But he says my decisions are…"

"Your own," Rafael cut off. "You're not a kid. You're our leader so you can make the final decision. Just run the documents with the judge and have him sign it. The sooner, the better."

Rafael knew something Michael didn't. The structure of these angels seemed off if the leader took orders from the one with a nasty temper and that German angel wasn't the leader…so what gives? Neku stole a quick glance to Joshua again. He didn't seem to be paying attention after being forced to comply.

"Okay, I'll have the documents signed by tomorrow. I will make sure to have you come back here before you start school."

Josh nodded his head. Yep, he was disinterested at this point. Great, if Josh was going to be moody for the rest of the day because of this, Neku wanted no part of it. He (and probably Beat when the group met up) would be on the receiving end of Josh's mood swing.

The two teens watched as Michael dismissed himself. Neku still couldn't believe how polite Michael was. Instead of using magic to warp himself to wherever, he got up and left the store like any normal person. He probably would use his magic outside but still…wouldn't it be easier to go to the UG with his powers?

"And there he goes."

Rafael hadn't left yet despite telling Michael he'll be following after him. Michael trusted his subordinate enough to leave first but judging from the look that this angel was giving the two teens, it would have been better if Michael stayed behind. Neku always surprised himself with how quick he was with putting himself in a defensive stance if it involved his friends. Rafael gave so many bad vibes that it might happen often at this rate. Josh folded his arms not amused that this angel stayed behind.

"You're still here," Neku huffed. "Shouldn't you be following your boss?"

"I will but not yet. I still have one more thing to tell our little prince right here."

Geez, how many nicknames will Rafael come up with for Josh? So far, he's used at least three different ones.

"Why didn't you say it when Michael was still here?" Josh asked. His eyes never left Rafael. So Josh had the same suspicion as Neku did.

"Well, I still got to wait for Sanae to come back."

"You'll be waiting here for a few hours," Josh cut him off. "Really, what is so important that you'll ignore orders in front of your boss?"

Rafael observed the two teens. He started slouching in the chair while maintaining the smug expression on his face. It warped into something solemn.

"You two aren't as dumb as Michael," Rafael stated. Ouch. He pulled no punches! "Michael doesn't realize that I can't start purifying your powers unless I understand what has transpired within the ten years you had your powers."

Josh's body tensed at Rafael's declaration. He tried to act like he wasn't affected by those words but…

"Wait, wasn't Michael the one who…" Neku started but he trailed off. He started to realize something. "Wait…you're in charge of the purification and not Michael?"

"Guilty as charge," Rafael admitted. His smile pissed Neku off. "I know how kids like the prissy prince over there are. He trusts someone like Michael because that guy is too nice for his own good. Truth is Michael has no magic. I do it for him."

Well, that explained why Michael didn't just warp to the UG. Still, why did the leader of these four angels have no powers? Wouldn't it be easy for the others to take over? Why would they obey someone so weak?!

"Your handsome guardian didn't report anything that transpired from the time the previous Composer decided on the new Reaper's Game until yesterday."

So Mr. H did lie to Neku about not knowing what had happened after a certain extent. After last night, Neku questioned Mr. H just a little bit. Rafael made him distrust his idol even more. Still, Mr. H was more trustworthy than this angel. Why give this angel the time of day?

"So Yoshiya, are you going to tell me what your relationship was with the other Composer?"

Rafael tried to sound like Michael. A soft, gentle tone that apparently caused Josh to let his guard down yesterday. Rafael had venom on the tip of his tongue. The question turned Josh into a popsicle if Neku wanted to make a comparison to anything. Neku has already seen Josh demonstrate a variety of emotions already but the way Josh looked at Rafael when asked about the previous Composer gave the impression…

"Josh…" Neku started. "Did the previous Composer…"

"There's nothing to tell."

The response was straight to the point even though Josh didn't seem the least bit comfortable. The eye contact he had with Rafael disappeared the moment Rafael raised a brow.

"Don't lie to me," Rafael began. "Or at least make a more believable lie."

"But there isn't…"

"The previous Composer's name was Shoki Yamato. She was the Composer for 100 years. She dropped off the map but her powers continued to linger. Now, we know that you have been in control for ten years but were made to believe that she was still in power. I'm not really surprised that you killed her."

If Rafael's goal was to shake Josh's foundation, it was working.

"…If you already knew that much, why bother asking?"

"I wanted to see if you would come clean. Apparently, you and Sanae can't do that. I do my research before I jump into things…unlike that Nazi."

Ariel and Rafael have a terrible relationship. Even when they aren't together, they will find ways to insult one another.

"I am aware that the rules have changed from what they were ten years ago to what they are today. I know there were too many casualties before you came into power and I know that either you or the previous Composer will pay for the lack of tributes heaven hasn't received."

"Tributes?" Neku asked. He wished he didn't.

"The dead, of course," Rafael told him. Neku's face morphed into that of disgust and the angel relished in his disgust. "What? You think this world is just the RG and the UG? There's more to that. We angels got to get the souls before those bastards do but when nothing is given to us for 100 years, someone here has to pay."

Neku chose not to ask who "those bastards" were. If he didn't like the first answer, he wouldn't like this one.

"If one Composer is dead and we don't know what happened to her, the blame falls on you to make up the loss souls for 100 years," Rafael hummed. "You're on Composer probation anyway so I hope you don't mind doing what I say."

Yeah, Josh would mind something like that. Josh finally stood up and slammed his hands on the table causing it to shake.

"I do mind!" Josh shouted. His furious glare didn't shake Rafael. "The previous Composer is dead. What she did in the past has no bearing now!"

"But you killed her and didn't fix the problems she caused for us."

"I…" Josh's voice trailed off. Whatever he was going to say, he decided not to say it.

Again, Rafael had no problem bullying Josh into doing what he wanted. Weren't angels supposed to not abuse their powers like this?

"Hey, why are you blackmailing Josh?" Neku asked angrily.

"Blackmail is such a dirty word," Rafael corrected before Neku could finish his question. "Your friend is just going to be my little errand boy until Michael finally decides you can get your title back. However…" Again, Rafael's expression turned black. "I don't have all the time in the world so I'll rip the truth out of you."

It was official. Rafael was dangerous and there was nothing Neku could do about it without getting killed again. The animosity was directed at Josh and it caused the ex-Composer to sit back down in his seat without saying another word. Neku's instincts told him to take Josh and run but they weren't leaving until Rafael finished harassing them.

"Your phone already has my number in it," Rafael continued, his expression returning to something more natural. "When I need you for something, I'll send a text. If you don't show up, I'll have my shadow minions drag you to me."

Josh's lack of response hurt Neku. How many times was he going to see his friend so defeated?

"And don't bother trying to delete my number. It will be added back immediately."

"…So you bugged my phone…" Josh grumbled. "Wonderful…"

"It wouldn't have to be like this if you came clean with the truth. I'm willing to play your little game though~"

That was enough time. Neku had to get them both out of here. Josh seemed more surprised at the orange haired teen standing up and pulling him out of the seat than Rafael's evil giggling.

"Sorry, we promised to meet our friends today," Neku stated. He patted himself on the back for being able to keep his composure. "We can't sit here with you all day."

"No worries. I said my piece already~" Rafael hummed. "Just remember what I said. If you try to tell the other angels, I might have to be a little more aggressive with your boyfriend."

There it was again. Who did Rafael think he was constantly throwing the word "boyfriend" like it had any sort of meaning? Neku tugged Josh's arm a little too hard. Josh squeak was unnatural and it made the ex-Player stop what he was doing.

"N-Neku…!"

"Josh…don't say anything. Don't even look at that jerk. We're getting out of here."

Why did he have to sound so demanding? Josh already had a hard time as it was! Did Josh need to think that Neku took advantage of this situation? Neku went back against his own words to see how Josh reacted. The poor guy had his head down and allowed his friend to take him out. It wasn't fair that this was the result of Neku's curiosity and tattling.

As the two left the café, Neku swore to himself about how demonic Rafael laughed as the door closed behind him. One thing was for certain, Neku will try his damn hardest to keep Josh away from Rafael and those angels.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Me: TBC with 11446 words. Notes!
> 
> 1\. When Josh's powers were taken away, it meant everything from the powers demonstrated in game to the things that had given Josh problems in the first place. The inability to see Noise would be something that Josh would want because it means he won't hallucinate. On the other hand, he can't tell what is going on in the UG. So he's pretty useless because his phone doesn't work either like it did in game. To be fair, not having his powers means that Josh can't read Neku. Hell, given the type of fic this is, Josh will be able to read Neku without relying on his powers eventually but right now, it means he has to tread carefully.
> 
> 2\. Sora is an intentional name that Laura wanted. She wanted three characters in her story to have "Sora, Kairi, Riku" in their name. Sora just happened to be the name of Neku's father. Don't think too much about Kingdom Hearts. It's just in name only because they don't even look like the KH counterparts (even though Neku's dad is kind of a space cadet).
> 
> 3\. Something Laura wanted with Neku and Josh's relationship was how they view their relationship with each other. Most chapters are mostly in Neku's POV but it's okay to dip into Josh's mind every once in a while to see how (not) okay he is. So even though in an earlier chapter, Mr. H teased Neku about flipping out about learning Josh's sexuality, Neku labels it as being overprotective (and it did catch him off guard in general which is what Laura wanted to empathize.) Neku in this chapter is just heated from his dad's teasing about his sexuality when there are other reasons why a relationship isn't on Neku's mind at the moment. Also in earlier chapters, Neku's dad is established as being really laidback so something like this wouldn't even be a problem but Neku still has issues. Just because he learned a lot in the Reaper's Game doesn't mean he learned everything for the world of the living again. Also, in Japan, people conceal their sexuality even if they aren't discriminated against simply because you're going out of your way to be personal to others when Japan keeps to themselves. In Japan, LGBT people can't get married (or be recognized if married out of Japan), adopt children or donate blood (and other hospital stuff). In most parts of Japan, you can be discriminated against in terms of jobs (but not in the military). You can't discriminate in Shibuya but every other place isn't so happy.
> 
> 4\. Something I hope the reader's pay attention to is the powers the four archangels have. People who have followed my other stories where these four have appeared already have a good clue on what they do. Rafael's powers aren't angelic in the slightest (except the healing). Michael also is surrounding himself with angels with strong powers as if to hide something. What it is? You can figure it out.
> 
> 5\. Again, of all the archangels, Rafael will get the most focus. He's the most antagonistic of all the angels but also the one that interferes with the human world the most. What he wants to do will worry Neku to death seeing as how Josh doesn't really have a choice in the matter for what Rafael wants him to do.


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think we can finally move on with the plot (or at least the start of an arc in Laura's outline). I did some research on Japan high schools and had to change some of the things she had in mind. I don't think it changes too much though.

The days of running around Shibuya were gone and the bigger threat to all teenage boys returned. School. Well…school was always going on. The events over the past couple of days took up a lot of time in Neku's mind that when he was reminded that he was going to be late to school, he panicked. He wasn't ready to return to school! He couldn't leave Josh alone. That's the last thing he wanted. Leaving Joshua in his house meant that Josh would do something stupid. If the former Composer rummaged through his stuff and found his secret stashes, Josh would surely tell Shiki and Eri about his findings! (Neku wasn't that sort of kid with those sorts of magazines. The internet did a better job at hiding adult magazines than magazines and…he was guilty as hell…)

That's why rushing to get ready and being greeted by a shadowy figure in his room after finishing a shower caused Neku to freak out. Joshua wasn't a morning person so he didn't wake up until Neku made a lot of noise. The shadow opened up a portal for someone to walk in…and of course Rafael decided to rain on their parade.

"Both of you, hurry up and get ready. I'm taking you to school."

"Huh?!" Neku squawked. "But my dad is-."

"He's not here. I saw him leave not too long ago. You're the one running late," Rafael hummed. "Then again, I need you to come along with me to make your boyfriend's integration into the school easier."

Josh slowly sat up still in a trance. He rubbed his eyes, not realizing there was another person in the room seeing him in this vulnerable state. Only when he questioned why Neku was being loud did he completely wake up.

"I need to have the headmaster know about her new transfer student," Rafael explained with an evil smile.

"…Get out…" Josh mumbled darkly.

"Oh, I would but you'll both be late for school if you don't hurry."

Neku wasn't going to be late. He refused to be late to his homeroom class. He wasn't going to be humiliated like the other students in the past! He didn't care if Joshua complained the entire time. They needed to go and the young man was willing to allow this archangel to do whatever he wanted!

Rafael worked as a double-edged sword for them. No need to walk to school when he could just teleport them near the place without being spotted. That in itself was a time saver! From there, they could just walk into the school building and head to the principal office. Many students were already there. Rafael walked in front of the two teens without a care in the world and people just magically moved out of the way for him. In comparison, Josh stayed rather close to Neku. The school grounds were a place Josh wanted to stay far away from. Being forced back was starting to eat away at his arrogant persona. Neku allowed Josh to tail behind him but that was where the problem stemmed. Some students noticed that Neku was walking with a person they have never seen before. Other students were talking with each other about events that had occurred. Neku couldn't stand gossip and tried to tune it all out but that was near impossible if Rafael was talking to him about what they needed to do once they reached the headmaster.

" _ **Can you believe that people are still going on about the alien theory at Hachiiko?"**_

" _ **You can't be serious. We can't have a shooting in Japan. Gun laws."**_

" _ **Hey, keeping up with politics? It's getting pretty intense in the Diet Building."**_

" _ **Princess K is going to have an announcement in a few weeks. It's going to be soooo cool!"**_

" _ **So what are you going to eat for dinner? Ramen or burgers?"**_

" _ **Shit, the field trip is coming up. I'm not ready!"**_

" _ **You'll be fine, man. Tsurugi-sensei wouldn't leave any of his students behind."**_

" _ **I heard Yasuhiro-sensei got slapped by Gliss-sensei again."**_

" _ **Wait, that's news worth talking about?"**_

" _ **When is 777 going to sing again? It's been a while."**_

" _ **Hey, don't push me, you jerk!"**_

" _ **I need a girlfriend…"**_

Neku gritted his teeth. The noise never ceased to aggravate him. This wasn't even him reading the minds of others. His hearing just became more sensitive after the Reaper's Game. Some students had interesting topics he should be paying attention to but it was all normal high school stuff.

Neku looked over to Josh and noticed that he did his very best not to make eye contact with anyone. Old habits die hard. Joshua probably did this when he was still alive to hide in the crowd. Neku wasn't any different but had the headset.

"…These voices are annoying…" Josh couldn't help but mumble. "I don't have my powers anymore, but the noise is still…"

"I hear ya," Neku answered simply. "It's something we both have to deal with.

Josh hated it but there was nothing he could do other than complain. More talking amongst students continued until they reached the headmaster's office.

" _ **Did you hear we're getting a transfer student."**_

" _ **Oooh? Boy or girl?"**_

" _ **Who knows. I just know that Tsurugi-sensei is going to hammer that person."**_

" _ **Oi, the cultural festival is next month!"**_

" _ **Why can't this school celebrate Halloween? Can we talk to the headmaster about it?"**_

" _ **Three more months until this year is over…finally…"**_

" _ **I bombed my math test. My mom is going to kill me…"**_

" _ **We really out here ignoring the**_ _ **Hachiko**_ _ **incident? That's not normal!"**_

Once the trio reached the headmaster's office, Rafael told the two teenagers to wait outside and take a seat while he informed the headmaster of their presence. The fact the headmaster didn't greet them said a lot about how unexpected this meeting would be…but Neku had a feeling that the headmaster just fell asleep.

The two ex-Players sat in the chair in absolute silence sans the muffling behind closed doors. Rafael made Neku and Josh hold onto the documents while speaking with the headmaster. It was unnecessary to the extreme. Rafael made things complicated but justified the reason for doing this.

According to the forged documents, Rafael needed to be there with Josh. Either him or Mr. H but given how Josh still didn't want to deal with his father figure, he was stuck with the archangel who already had everything planned out. Neku did want to know what the hell this wicked archangel had in mind but it didn't sound all that good.

Normally, people who had nothing to do with the transfer student had to return to class. Neku didn't understand why the hell he needed to be there but apparently it was for a few minutes. This gave him the time to ask Rafael how he was going to make this work.

"The head of your school will be fine with it," Rafael said simply.

Josh rolled his eyes, not believing him in the slightest. Rafael handed Neku a document that he really shouldn't be looking at but either the archangel trusted him or he wanted Neku to get in trouble for the hell of it (and the latter was more likely than the former). Still, Neku needed to see if it was really possible to just lie to the high school like this.

So the high school student just skimmed the paper and made a mental note that whoever came up with this did some research on Japan for it to make sense. Neku caught something about Joshua's guardians and he couldn't help but snort. While it should be obvious at this point that Hanekoma was pretty much a father to the ex-Composer, seeing Rafael's name as the other guardian was too good to be true.

"Neku, you're not giving me confidence," Joshua groaned. Rafael had gotten up to speak with the headmaster personally. No one was able to do that without following protocols but apparently that didn't exist with Rafael…

"I'm so sorry," the orange haired teen said, not feeling sorry in the slightest. It only intrigued the older male even more and he just had to look at the document. "Congrats on the adoption."

Josh snatched the document from his friend and looked through it. If he wasn't tired before, he was now. His hand played with the front end of his hair as he looked through it. Neku noticed from the corner of his eye that Josh slightly bit his lip. His hands were shaking. Oh, if Josh had his powers, he would have incinerated the forged document in front of him.

"Does that jerk even know that Japan wouldn't allow this sort of thing?" Josh asked rather agitated.

"He found the loophole," Neku reminded him. "No wonder he sounded so confident."

The single loophole was explaining Joshua's situation. They couldn't exactly claim this was the same person from ten years ago, so the backstory had to change. Josh was listed as being adopted by Sanae Hanekoma and Rafael Strife. Neku chuckled how that must have been a fake last name the archangel came up with on the spot but that wasn't the issue. In Japan, the only place you can officially adopt a child was in Osaka if you were a gay couple. It wasn't allowed in Shibuya. However, the loophole seemed to be that you could legally change your gender, therefore ignoring the gay implication entirely. Rafael wasn't as feminine looking as Joshua (in Neku's eyes at least) but it could convince people without having to do a background check.

In this case, even if the foster parents were technically two guys, if Rafael was written as a woman in this fake document, no one would question it unless they saw Rafael in person. But it might just take one good look at Rafael to be suspicious. This must have been the reason why two things were happening. Neku had been brought along as "proof" of the story and the healer angel speaking to the headmaster at this moment. The two teens couldn't hear what was going on but there was laughter coming from the other room. The second insurance must have been getting buddy-buddy with the headmaster to make sure that no one actually investigated the fake documents. That didn't seem possible but with how angels seemed to have the power of manipulation on their side, persuasion might have been all Rafael needed to secure Josh into the school with little problems legally.

"I guess you're going to have to start calling him 'Mother'," Neku couldn't help but tease as he playfully jabbed at Josh's shoulder. Josh wasn't having any of that and shoved the document back to Neku before turning away to pout. "Aww, come on. You could probably get away with some things now."

"Being legally bound to that bastard is only going to spell trouble in the long run…"

"You could always be on your best behavior then to make them go away faster."

"Oh, Neku. I've always been a good boy. The angels are just bullies."

The younger male just smirked at the comment. Josh didn't need to lie to him. His friend didn't appreciate being laughed at and went back to sulking. They wouldn't be able to talk anymore because Rafael soon left the office with the headmaster. Neku rarely got to see the headmaster in person. All he knew was that the old bald guy had retired and a new, young lady would take over. That had caused controversy originally due to the sudden retirement and allowing a woman into power, but she seemed pretty alright.

"…The old fart isn't the headmaster…" Josh couldn't help but saying.

"Oh, he left three months ago," Neku whispered.

The new headmaster observed the two teens. Her judgmental eyes never seemed to leave Neku even though Rafael was talking to her about Joshua.

"Welcome to Aoyama High School. I am the headmaster Tai Yuri. I hope you will come to enjoy your school life here."

Tai Yuri had an odd way of talking. She spoke as if she was in the western world rather than Japan. Not much was known about her before her appearance three months ago. Whoever put her in charge was certainly not the previous headmaster. Either way, Tai first fired as many teachers as possible who were considered harmful for the school campus. Teachers who had been in the school for ten years or more were thrown out. Only a few teachers got a slap on the wrist but Tai was serious about making the school life safer for others. The remaining teachers got double the workload and were far from pleased. This was why some teachers were still being hired to this day. Neku missed out on the past three weeks due to the Reaper's Game but many changes were still being made. It explained why some of the teachers seemed on edge but the students were more at ease.

Tai Yuri was as beautiful as she was deadly. For one thing, she looked like a royal queen from Asia. She had black or forest colored (Neku couldn't tell) hair as long and silky as Rapunzel. Rumor had it that if you stepped on her hair, you would never be seen again. Said hair was tied in a pretty baby blue bow twice; one was tied where her hair met her neck and another was tied near the bottom. Her outfit was just as foreign as her appearance. She dressed up like one of those Goddesses from mythology. It suited her well but not suited for a headmaster. However, Tai Yuri's introduction message to the school was "embrace the unknown and unique". Neku originally took it as allow the school to become a freak show. In a sense, he wasn't wrong but with the new view to expand his horizons, the message made more sense. Neku had no problem embracing it…

Her green eyes locked onto Neku finally. "Sakuraba, I believe you should head to class before Tsurugi becomes an enraged boar."

That sounded harsh but it was a very accurate description of his homeroom teacher.

"Uh…don't I need to be here?" Neku asked calmly. Hopefully, Rafael would help him out.

"Oh, you just needed to be here to confirm what I told her," the archangel said with a laugh. "Because of moving issues, my sweet child is staying with you."

Neku was certain he heard Josh fake cough as if wanting to say, "bullshit". Rafael maintained his fake persona in front of the headmaster. Tai watched the silver haired teen's reaction before her eyes focused on Neku again. The ex-Player didn't appreciate being under her microscope.

"Is this true?"

"Y-Yeah…"

"Then I can expect you to take care of your friend until the house situation is finished with Strife?"

Neku nodded his head slowly. Headmaster Tai smiled slowly once she was satisfied with his answer.

"Good, you may return to class. Do not worry. Your friend only needs to answer a few more questions before I return him to you."

Why is she wording it like that? Neku asked himself. "Uh…okay. Will you be okay Josh?"

The Composer shrugged his shoulders. He just wanted to get this over with. Neku bid farewell to the headmaster before leaving in a jiffy. If he lingered around the door, he would have heard laughter behind closed doors.

Neku barely made it to class on time. His homeroom teacher had made it clear that if someone was even a minute late, he would force his students to wait outside for a few minutes before letting them in. Neku wasn't one of the students who stood outside. A few other students were notorious for being late to class and had to wait outside. If the orange haired teen ended up like that, he wouldn't hear the end of it from his friends (especially Shiki who got onto him about taking school seriously. He was always serious when it came to school but he lacked the drive to actually do anything for depressing reasons.)

"Sakuraba, you were fifteen seconds short of being late," a hulky voice spoke. Neku had tried to escape to his seat near the back of the class near the window (the protagonist seat as many liked to call it). He wouldn't be able to do that easily.

"S-Sorry, Tsurugi-sensei."

Neku's homeroom teacher, Riku Tsurugi, specialized in history. This man could easily be mistaken for the gym teacher or a bodybuilder but certainly not someone who enjoyed history. He surpassed the height of the average Japanese man and rivaled the height of a basketball player from America. He had short auburn hair and chocolate colored eyes to go with it. Most clothes didn't fit him so he needed to tailor a customized suit just for school. Riku appeared like a thug trying to fit into society and failed miserably. His attitude only made it worse. He was straight to the point, no nonsense and no discussion during class. If he caught you doing something not pertaining to school, he would humiliate you in front of the class.

However, Riku was an honest and fair teacher. He cared about each and every student. If he felt you weren't performing the way he thought you could, the auburn haired teacher would speak with your parents. Neku had been a victim of this but that was because Riku was an acquaintance of his father. This connection didn't mean Neku got special treatment. Quite the opposite in fact…if he fucked up, Sora would know and Neku would get a bad scolding from his usually laidback father.

Riku only nodded his head to Neku's apology and allowed his student to sit down. The orange haired teen walked past Eri before sitting down next to Shiki. Shiki giggled at Neku's awkward walk of shame to his desk and Neku did his best to ignore it.

"Open your textbooks to page 423. We are picking up where we left off last week."

Oh boy, this was going to be a long class. Reading out loud put Neku to sleep but Riku did this often to make sure his students were paying attention to the material. This should have been the class where something interesting would happen but given that Joshua still had stuff to do, there was no way he could come to this class and shake things up.

 _Actually…if Josh was in this class, he would be the best student Tsurugi-sensei ever seen._  Neku thought. With how much his ex-partner gave him a history lesson every location they went to during week two, the ex-Proxy felt Riku would treat Joshua as a proud father would…

Riku made one of the students read first and the class went from there. Neku sighed as he took out his textbook. He found it optimal to put his books underneath his desk instead of taking them home with him. He was fortunate enough no one had the guts to steal from him but other students in the classroom were easier targets than him. The brooding teen opened the textbook to the page and pretended to pay attention.

* * *

Riku's class ended and it would be a few minutes until the next period. The history teacher wasted no time reminding the students of the upcoming field trip before taking his things and heading out to class. Neku yawned rather loudly once Riku was gone. There was no way he could skip out on the field trip. Going to a museum meant missing out on other classes but there would be a lot of walking involved. The girls would get him to spend money on useless souvenirs even if they were only going to a museum.

Neku turned around to see if Shiki was there. She and Eri had left the room for a few minutes for whatever reason, leaving him to sit in silence. The orange haired teen sighed and rested his head over his desk. Where was Josh? Wasn't he supposed to come in during first period or were there more difficulties concerning the fake documents? If that was the case, then Josh shouldn't have to worry about attending this school.

"Neku~."

On the other hand, the ex-Composer would die of boredom. Rafael wasn't the type that would take no for an answer either. They must have been finalizing stuff…and the fact that Rafael was friends with the headmaster said a lot…

"Neku~."

There was no real reason to be worried. If Rafael failed, the other angels would get involved. Neku hated to think of what they would do in order to keep this façade up. It's all out of Josh and Mr. H's control. Neku was just along for the ride…

"Hey Neku~. Earth to Neku~."

The voice finally got to Neku but it was too little too late. Something slapped against Neku's forehead nearly causing him to fall back in his chair. He growled at the sudden attack. Who does that so early in the morning?!

"Oww! What the hell!"

"Finally, I got your attention!"

Oh, Neku needed to know who the hell had the audacity to hit him with a book cover. Once he saw who it was, Neku forced his temper to relax. Breathe in, relax. This person was someone you couldn't get mad at.

"Neku, are you going to faint on me? Did I hit you too hard? Do you need to go to the nurse? I'm sure she can slap a Band-Aid on your forehead."

Neku forced himself to sit down. Breathe in. Relax. It wasn't worth it. Neku smiled to himself that he was able to keep his composure.

"…Neku hates me. That's why he's ignoring me…so cruel…"

"You hit me first!" Neku shouted. He made the mistake to make eye contact with the annoying person.

There were some strange people in Neku's homeroom. When he didn't care, he paid no heed to anyone. With a new perspective of life, he could pinpoint all the people who stood out from the crowd. The person in front of him was a short boy who looked too young to be in high school. One could mistake him for a junior high student with how short he was. It didn't help the kid didn't seem to hit puberty either. The young boy had short dark purple hair (Neku knew the kid was naturally black and only recently did he notice that the kid had dyed the ends of his bangs to stand out for whatever reason), and huge purple eyes and adorable eyelashes.

Did anyone mention that this little jerk was the class rep?

"I know I'm cute, but if you keep staring at me, I'll think you have a crush on me."

Neku learned he was obnoxious as hell. How did this little brat become the class rep again? What did their teacher see in him? If Neku thought about it, no one in the class volunteered and the kid took the opportunity to be the teacher's pet who bossed others around. That was what he did best.

"Come on, Neku! Don't ignore meeeeeee!"

And he managed to be an obnoxious piece of shit along with being the teacher's pet.

"Did anyone tell you that you're very loud?" Neku asked him. He was putting it lightly. If he was perfectly honest, he might get in trouble.

The kid didn't miss a beat. "I need to be able to project my voice when I'm giving speeches to the class. And I needed to make sure you didn't fall asleep and miss the date for the field trip."

Neku rolled his eyes. "I remember…"

"Students are going to be paired up in small groups. Groups of two and three are optimal and I wanted to remind you that you are with me. The Amazing Shouta Yuu~."

Yuu Shouta was his name…and Neku honestly couldn't remember it. Bad idea given the class rep being the person you'd have to stick next to meant that he had to be on his best behavior and not get on his bad side. However, this manipulative jerk put on his best clown smile for others to see. If he played his cards right, the field trip should go smoothly without stepping on a landmine.

"Shouta…" the ex-Player began to speak but the class rep interrupted him.

"I got some inside information today. There's a new student joining this class and you got connections with him."

That didn't take long. Yuu wouldn't be the class rep without having a way to get inside information about everyone in the school. Yuu's memory was nothing short of amazing. He only needed to learn your name and match it with a physical description before your entire being was remembered forever. Being on Yuu's bad side would get you in trouble with the teachers or worse. He was a terrible force to reckon with…

"Yeah, and…"

Neku had no reason to lie. Lying was something he'd never resort to in the first place. If Yuu found out, he might as well come clean.

Yuu had a rather dull expression at the confirmation. "Oh? Who is he? I have never seen him around the campus. I know everyone in the school."

"He's new," Neku answered simply. "And he's my friend…"

"Why were you in the office with his guardian?"

"…It was for confirmation. Nothing big."

Yuu folded his arms and leered at the taller male. "That's weird. You're not the type to be babysitting. Unless…the new kid is your secret lover!"

"Nope."

Neku had no time to deal with a gadfly. If Yuu didn't know anything about Josh, he would make assumptions that weren't even close to reality. Best to shoot him down now before he got any funny ideas. The raven haired student whined rather loudly and continued pestering Neku for answers. He would have to stop eventually.

"I demand silence, class!"

The cruel sounding voice caused a lot of the chattering between students to stop immediately. Even the class president was done messing with Neku and quickly found his seat even before the teacher came into the door. Eri and Shiki had found their way back into the classroom way before the math teacher walked in menacingly.

Tatsuya Shiro was Aoyoma High School's math teacher. He had a bad reputation amongst the students. He cared about perfection and results above all else. He refused to hand out pity points to those who fell behind, and he had no problem making a fool of someone who didn't know the answer in class. This was the same teacher that didn't care if Neku was "on vacation" for three weeks. He indirectly punished Neku with that quiz and his grade slipped oh so quickly in this class. He would have time to make it all up but it was still unfair. This was why the students considered Tatsuya as the demon teacher. He might have been an attractive man that looked younger than what he appeared but he was still dangerous to mess around with. Clean, kept black hair and red eyes of a demon were bad signs. Neku had to wonder if maybe Tatsuya was secretly a reaper. All signs did point toward him.

A few things stood out. Compared to other teacher's he dressed formally. When he wasn't in class, he put on a fake smile for the parents around him. He always held a grudge against a few peculiar students and then there were rumors of incidents that involved him. Neku wasn't one for gossip so he didn't care. As long as he wasn't a target, he should be in the clear.

The math teacher wasn't the center of attention for the students who obeyed. Joshua had followed behind the teacher to follow the usual transfer student routine. Neku caught the dull expression the silver haired male had. If he didn't know better, Josh had toned Tatsuya out because the demon teacher was the type of man to lecture newcomers regardless of circumstance.

"We have a new student with us today."

Immediate whispers rang among the students. The oddity of a transfer near the end of the year and the fact that it was so sudden made some students suspicious. Neku glanced over to Rena and caught his lab partner jaw dropping. She maintained her cool but her skin lost its color by the second. She was probably the only one who recognized Josh from that time therefore acted like a terrified animal in her seat. Neku did wonder what was going on…

"This is Kiryu Joshua and he will be joining Class B starting today. Kiryu, please give an introduction to the class."

Josh ignored what the teacher had to say. He simply bowed to the class and went with the simple "Nice to meet you". It felt so staged but at the same time, Josh clearly wasn't trying. Neku wondered if Josh did this on purpose as a way to spite those angels…

The class waited for Josh to say anything else about himself. The whispers started up again and Neku fought the urge to put his headphones back on to ignore it. The ex-Composer wasn't giving his fellow classmates a chance to like him.

"He's kind of cute…"

"Ehh? He seems kind of stuck up…"

"You sure that's a guy? Looks like a girl…"

Neku kept his head down. Really, why were his listening skills better than average?

"Eh-hem," Tatsuya coughed as a way to shut the class up and to become the center of attention. "This may be your first day, but you must say more than just that."

Josh kept his mouth shut and that only annoyed the math teacher even more.

"Kiryu, it would be wise to speak more about yourself-."

"There's nothing much to say," Josh suddenly cut off. "And I don't see a reason to indulge in pointless trivia."

How strange. Josh had no problem being the center of attention. If he was intentionally trying to get in trouble, it would work.

"It is required," Tatsuya said. His eyes leered at the transfer student before him.

Josh's expression dulled again. His fists curled up into a small ball. Why was Joshua making this difficult? Eventually, the petite teen forced himself to smile in front of the class. Despite the smile, his eyes told another story entirely.

"Kiryu Joshua. I've only been in Japan for a few weeks. I was living with a relative in Athens, Greece for most of my life and we moved here due to my relative's poor paying job. I was born on October 26th thus making me a Scorpio. I enjoy shopping with money that isn't my own and playing Tin Pin. What I don't appreciate are adults who exert their authority over innocent newcomers~."

There it was. The jab Neku expected to happen after the demon teacher pestered him. Tatsuya was taken aback by Josh's mockery. The class found it humorous and some of them giggled in the back (One of the girl's was Eri. Neku was sure of that.)

"Why you…" Tatsuya started but Joshua simply waved at him.

"I hope you'll be gentle with me,  _Tatsuya-sensei_ ~."

Josh was treading a very dangerous ground. Tatsuya hated being addressed by his first name and just saying his name in a mocking tone turned his face into that of a red oni. Neku feared Josh would get in trouble even before class started. However, Tatsuya cared for his reputation and a little bit of snark from a transfer student wouldn't make him lose his cool. He was cold-hearted for sure but he didn't have a short temper unless it involved a certain other teacher (and for good reasons).

"Take your seat next to Tsukuyomi," The raven haired teacher ordered. He pointed toward the right of a little girl in the second row. Eri was sitting to the left of the empty seat and she gave Josh a small wave.

Josh didn't argue with the seating arrangement. He elegantly took a seat in his assigned seat. The sassy Composer then acknowledged Eri's presence before looking over to the other side and made eye contact with the little girl trying to keep something in her backpack. She shyly returned the eye contact before quickly looking away.

The math teacher waited for his students to settle down using this chattering to get his materials ready to teach. His red eyes that never stopped leering at Josh didn't go unnoticed by Neku. Neku trembled at the look even when the teacher wasn't directing it at him. It was so…uncanny…why did the demon teacher look ready to murder someone?

Nah, as mean-spirited as this guy was, he would never resort to such a thing…might as well forget about the bad feeling in his gut.

Despite what occurred this morning, class continued without anything eventful happening. Neku was almost hoping that Josh would cause another scene. It was in his character, but the smug jerk decided to be on his best behavior. Now, Neku had no excuse to slack off…at least in the eyes of the math teacher. It didn't stop the orange haired teen from going back to his people observing in the classroom. Josh hadn't acted out despite his sassy introduction when pestered. He surprisingly stayed quiet but Neku had this nagging feeling that Josh wasn't listening to the teacher. The math teacher wasn't the nicest or most interesting person to listen to so it was understandable. However, Josh seemed to be on edge. The ash haired teen resisted texting in front of the teacher and as a result, he slumped over on his desk.

Today was one of those days where Mr. Tatsuya lectured without letting anyone ask a question. Given what Josh just did, he refrained from not calling on some poor fool.

But if Josh wasn't going to do anything, he could continue people watching! Neku didn't need to tilt his head too much to look around the classroom. He had the best seat in the class so he just needed to eye those who caught his attention.

Besides Josh, his eyes fell to Rena. He never really paid attention to her before but now, he was glad he had his lab partner with him in this class (Neku could complain about the teacher to her and she probably would agree). A few days ago, Rena diligently watched the teacher and take notes in class. However, when she had her math book up, she was obviously doing something that didn't involve writing equations downs. Today, she was as white as a snowman. Josh freaked her out before, and now that he was in the same class as her, she looked ready to pass out. Maybe Josh was right about her, but it simply wasn't normal for her to be on guard!

The next person that Neku ended up focusing on was the little girl seated next to Josh. When Tatsuya said where Josh's assigned seat was, it was clear it would be the one next to the little student. Neku didn't know her name but he knew she was probably the same age of Rhyme if not older and she was smart enough to skip a couple of grades. Her gray hair was unnatural to say the least and unlike a lot of other students in the class who dyed their hair a specific color to look "hip", the gray hair was an actual thing. (Neku made a stupid joke to himself that perhaps skipping grades caused her hair to mature faster than her). That little girl along with the class rep were the highest scoring kids in the class (and probably the top students in the school overall). She was able to get away with a lot of things but she was always polite to everyone. The other teachers adored her but Tatsuya wanted nothing to do with her. It seemed like he just hated the concept of having to babysit someone who was probably smarter than him. To rub insult to injury, she kept a pet in her desk whenever she went to school. Neku determined it was a small bunny before the animal made itself at home in her desk. No pets were allowed in the school but she got away with it. When she wasn't taking notes, she would be feeding carrots, strawberries and greens to it. There were many snitches in the back of the classroom but it didn't mean much if the little girl got pardoned often. Neku wondered if Josh would bring it up to her. He was a fan of fluffy bunnies.

Speaking of snitches, Neku didn't like the fact that there were unpleasant students in the back of the room. When Tatsuya was the teacher, they usually stayed out of trouble in fear of getting detention. An easygoing teacher wasn't so lucky and they would often be plotting to bully someone in front of the class. Neku didn't care in the past and let them do whatever but now that he was more empathetic, he sure as hell wanted to intercept anything that was thrown from the back of the class (or at least tell the teacher). Yuu was the type of guy to lecture these jerks but if they didn't want to listen, then even a class president had limits.

If Neku had to guess who they were going to bully, it was going to be that little girl. They always threw stuff at her when no one was looking. She never said anything to the teacher about the bullying. Whatever they wrote to her was never good but the little girl always smiled and continued to pay attention to the lecture. Now that Josh was here, Neku feared their target would change…but at the same time, anyone who could talk down the math teacher was someone worthy of respect (not like Neku would say that to Josh's face, nope!)

"Listen closely, class," Tatsuya lectured. "Just because derivatives give the easy plug in numbers doesn't mean that they are solvable."

Neku blinked. Did the match teacher skip a section of the book again? He was pretty sure the seniors were supposed to be doing questions like this. The class as a whole struggled doing basic limits (he wasn't one of them of course but it would be nice if Tatsuya tried not to rush things).

"Class, who can answer this problem?"

Tatsuya was quick with writing the equation down on the whiteboard. Again, Neku blinked making sure he was reading the problem correctly.

**The limit of x^2 –y^6 / xy^3 when (x, y) equals (0, 0).**

Neku put his head down immediately. This wasn't even in their textbook! Yeah, he could probably solve it within a few minutes but the dreaded silence in the class spoke wonders. Shiki was probably just as confused as he was. Yuu kept smiling like he knew the answer (but he probably didn't and was most likely doing reverse psychology on the teacher). The orange haired teen could imagine Beat having a minor panic attack (wasn't he in a lower math class to begin with?)

"Come on. Someone? Anybody?" Still no response. Now Neku feared the pointy finger of the evil math teacher. "If no one is going to volunteer, I'll just have to ask one of you."

 _Please don't be me. Please don't be me. Please don't be me. Neku_  chanted to himself. He was tired of Tatsuya picking on him the week after he returned from the Reaper's Game. It didn't matter he was in a game of life and death for three weeks. He was still going to be hammered hard for "slacking off on his studies".

"How about the new student, Kiryu?"

Neku let out a sigh in relief (he wasn't the only one. He swore the girl in the way back was breathing again!). It wasn't him. But really, calling on Josh on a problem like this? That was-.

"0 and/or infinity."

Josh didn't even need to think about the answer. He just knew. Then again, he was the Composer. Surely, that taught you a lot of things.

"Sensei, you can't divide by zero. If you're trying to intimidate someone, you're better off showing this equation to grade schoolers."

Oof. Josh didn't have a filter and he didn't care he was talking to an adult with authority. The trash talking did wonders on Tatsuya's ego. The teacher's hand trembled and gritted his teeth. If Josh wasn't careful, he would find a black marker thrown at his forehead. However, Tatsuya was not one of those teachers who threw objects at delinquent students.

"I'm pleased that you may very well be ahead of the class's curriculum," was all Tatsuya said before getting back on his lecture. There was no point in embarrassing himself any further.

Josh let out a rather loud sigh but chose not to address the issue. Neku knew that Josh wouldn't be targeted again if he knew how to back up his claim. Looking over to the little girl next to Josh, she was writing the information down. She was more diligent than the other students in the class.

Either way, Neku waited for Tatsuya to not eye his side of the classroom before resting his head. Maybe he could take a quick nap before the next class.

* * *

The nightmare had to end eventually. The bell rang and Tatsuya could no longer lecture the class anymore. He could give out work assignments as punishment for Josh humiliating him but he no longer held any authority over them. Neku pretended he was listening near the end just in case the animosity came his way.

Second period was done and two more classes came before lunch. Once math class was out of the way, it was easier for the class to relax. The other teachers weren't as sadistic as Tatsuya was. Next class was English, then science, then art and finally health. The last class was a total snoozefest, but it was still a damn requirement for whatever reason. Neku would rather get it out of the way now than deal with it later in the year.

However, the English teacher wasn't exactly a nice lady. Quite the opposite. The English teacher had a terrible temper and would throw you into detention at the drop of a hat. It was useless trying to argue with her, so the class just went along with it.

The funny thing was that Joshua played the part of a good student when the English teacher came in. Her name was Severa Gliss, a strange name for a strange foreigner. This school believed the best way to teach the students English was to hire a foreign teacher. The only problem was that the Japanese teacher at this school was already an expert not only in her own language and English but ten other languages. Severa wasn't needed in comparison and she just seemed to be put on the job for the sake of having a token member (as awful as that sounded). It's not like the teacher was bad at her job. She was actually great at teaching English, but her quick temper made most students dislike her. Neku was one of the students who couldn't stand her and just put up with it. As long as you were on her good side, you were safe…but heaven forbid if you fail her class. She would find a way to make you work harder to achieve the highest grade possible.

Her attitude was probably why she didn't have a boyfriend either. She's what people call a Christmas Cake. It's depressing to think that such a stigma exists. Severa was pretty to look at. Red hair, green eyes, nice body, glasses girl that dressed professionally…she honestly wasn't all that bad but her personality was just so bad! Neku wasn't for rumors but when he hung out with Shiki and Eri, he was able to pick up stuff about women and the English Teacher was a big fat zero in his book (it's rude but true).

But all of his thoughts didn't matter too much. Her class ended fast because she made sure to stay productive. Homework and study material for the next exam was given out before she left the class in a hurry. She was too dedicated to her job that it should have been something to be impressed about…

Science was next period. Some days, the class would have to leave the room and go to the lab. Other days, it would just be opening up the textbook to x page and keeping up with said teacher. At first, Neku didn't care too much about this teacher. He wasn't too strict so it was easy to get by with the least amount of work.

There was a funny story about the science teacher though. He was actually the older brother of that one kid that Neku had lost to at Tin Pin during the Reaper's Game. The science teacher was just some random guy until his last name stuck in his mind. Rancha "Launcher" Dan was the teacher's name and his brother was Shuto "Shooter" Dan. The uncanny resemblance scared the orange haired student because it made him realize that the world was capable of being small. There were huge differences that set them apart. Launcher's hair was short and tamed unlike his little brother's messy hair. Launcher bleached his hair blond for whatever reason. He couldn't dress the same way his brother did for the sole reason that he was a teacher. However, being the science teacher meant he had more freedom to wear whatever he wanted under his lab coat as long as it didn't break the school rules.

In this case, he wore a shirt from the Jupiter of the Monkey underneath his coat. Neku smirked seeing that he wasn't the only one who liked the brand. A blue shirt matched the white lab coat so there weren't any real complaints. At the end of the day, Launcher was rather plain to look at. He was unique amongst the teachers because of his age. At the age of twenty, he got his teacher's certificate and immediately got hired to teach science. In Japan, anything was possible but Neku couldn't help but feel how anime it was for a teacher to only be a few years older than their students to teach.

He was still entertaining at the very least. If he made the class watch an English speaking scientist Bill Nye, Neku just fell asleep and waited until lunch. Sleep just made it so easy for the orange haired teen.

However, Neku didn't need to sleep when he could observe Joshua from his seat. At this point, the ex-Composer probably knew that eyes were staring at the back of his head. Joshua must have been pretending not to notice. This teacher wasn't one that would care too much if the transfer student slacked off. The teen wondered what was on his friend's mind seeing him take out his phone and texting underneath the table. Neku got the message immediately.

**Josh: I'm bored Neku! Entertain me. :3**

Neku groaned. Sleeping sounded like the better option now. Then again, better than listening to a lecture…

**Neku: Pay attention.**

With how much he fiddled with his phone, it didn't take long for Joshua to reply.

**Josh: But I already know these subjects. I'm being forced to repeat these classes.**

**Neku: It will refresh you.**

**Josh: Neku, I know staring at me is more interesting than the teacher. :3 You're making me nervous when you give me such an intense look ^///^**

Neku had to stop himself from texting. First he looked up to see Launcher's back was against the class. Then he looked down at the phone. Josh drove him insane and he felt his cheeks getting hot.

**Neku: I'm making sure you don't do something stupid.**

**Josh: Me? I would never~**

**Neku: You're texting in class.**

**Josh: But you could have just ignored my text.**

**Neku: Yeah, and get 20 messages by the time class is done.**

**Josh: More like 50. I can't go a few minutes without talking with you dear 3**

**Neku:** **(-.-** **)**

Josh did giggle at the lack of a response. The jerk didn't even need his powers nor turn his head to see how he had annoyed him successfully.

**Josh: Don't give me that look. Gimme a kiss :3**

**Neku: We're done talking.**

**Josh: Nooooo! T-T** **Don't make me listen!**

Neku closed his phone and that ended the conversation. A distraction was nice but Josh just gave him a bigger headache than he already had. It's not like Josh would nag him during lunch.

* * *

Lunchtime finally came and Neku thought that he could pull Josh to the side and get an update on how well he was settling in. But that wasn't going to happen. Josh had left the classroom to avoid the sudden swarm of students wanting to ask him questions about his backstory, most of the students blocked the entrance trying to get a taste of the transfer student and then Beat stormed in to check up on his friend. Naturally, sitting down in his chair was the best play. Talking to Joshua would have to wait until after school. Beat took a seat on top of Neku's desk preventing him from napping during lunch.

"Phones, can ya believe the nerve of the math teacher? I swear he was like a wild boar today!"

Neku could believe, "Yeah, Josh told him off and then mocked him for an "easy" question."

"Wahhhhh?! Bro, Prissy Kid doing tha' made it bad for all of us! Jerkface threw out problems we didn' go over at all!"

 _I bet he did but you weren't paying attention._  Neku thought to himself. While it was in Tatsuya's character to do that, school wasn't Beat's strong point.

"Man, I'd like to have a class with ya, Phones. It would make everything easier."

It was unrealistic for all of Neku's friends to be in the same class. Fifth period was when he was pretty much alone (the girls had home economics and he had art class). At the very least, Neku can keep an eye on Joshua for five of the six classes. Beat could have used some supervision but the Reaper's Game showed he'll put the effort to not look like an idiot.

…Actually, what was Neku thinking? Beat would be an idiot until the end of time.

"I wouldn't let you copy my homework if that's what you're thinking," Neku told him simply. "You said you'd do better in school."

"Uhhh…but it's such a pain! C'mon, Phones, please let me see your notes at least!"

Neku turned his attention away from Beat. The noise outside the classroom was louder than his friend's voice and that said a lot seeing as how Beat was literally right next to him screaming in his ear. At first, Neku wanted to ignore the distraction coming from the hallway but something told him that it would be a good idea to actually check up on the commotion.

"Hmm?"

"Phones, are you even listening to me?"

The brooding teen wanted to reply with a simple "no" but then changed the subject. "Something is bothering me."

It was Neku's way of getting out of the conversation. Beat's voice got drowned out by the gossiping students that Neku forced himself to get through. This was something he'd never get used to. So many students standing in one place made him feel claustrophobic. Deep breathing became his best friend in order to survive something as stupid as this.

"Get the fuck out of here, prissy kid! That parasite is going to get it!"

_Prissy kid? Don't tell me…_

"Parasite isn't the best word to refer to her. You should have listened to Gliss-sensei today."

Fuck. It was Joshua. Of course it was fucking Joshua! It was only a matter of time before the cocky jerk caused a scene that forced Neku to intervene. What could have made him decide to be a dick to someone twice his size? Did he want to get bullied again?

Despite all the noise in the hallway, Neku heard someone sobbing that sounded like a little girl. He needed to push his way through to confirm what exactly transpired. Once he saw the little girl on the ground, Neku kind of understood what was going on in Josh's mind. That small girl was getting leered at by the jerks in the back of the room. Today they were calmer than usual because they were ready to humiliate her at lunch. And what better way than to use their size difference to push her down.

It was ironic how Josh wanted to avoid helping others when the Taboo Noise attacked other players and Reapers due to their lives not being their business but had no problem standing up for a little girl whom Josh didn't even know. As admirable as it was to stand up to bullies after dealing with them when he was alive originally, the guys were still twice his size. Without his powers, Joshua would be swatted away like a fly.

"Who asked you?!"

"I wonder if a simpleton like you feels any sort of remorse for attacking a law-abiding child," Josh continued to snark. "She's not doing anything to you. I suggest you apologize for knocking her down."

Oh, the bully did more than just "knock her down". The girl's books were scattered all over the floor. She wasn't carrying them in her backpack so the impact frustrated her enough to break down in tears. Given how she had a rabbit in her backpack, it made sense why the bullies were trying to get a rise out of her.

"I don't fucking care what you have to say, prissy kid! I'll knock you both down! You hear?!"

Josh shrugged his shoulders. "I doubt you would do that in front of all of these people…unless you're really stupid."

At the end of the day, Josh sucked at dealing with bullies. Snark only made them angrier. Neku didn't understand why this jerk was pounding his chest like he was a gorilla. Those sorts of actions didn't scare the ex-Composer, but while intimidation tactics didn't work on the ash haired teen, he was powerless against a muscle head.

And of course the student body would rather stand there and do nothing while the idiot raised his fists.

Wait, this guy was actually going to throw down? Wasn't that against school regulation?! This was bad! Really bad! Last thing that needed to happen was Josh thinking he was still the Almighty Composer who could stop a fist from colliding with his face. He had no powers! He was going to get knocked down!

"Dammit, Josh! Why are you standing there! You jerks knock it off!"

Neku hoped that maybe if he interrupted the argument things would calm down. Nothing ever went Neku's way. If he was fast enough, he probably could have blocked the punch that was meant for the ex-Composer instead of taking the blow for Josh.

"Phones?!"

There was some screaming coming from the onlookers. Of course they would be shocked more at the fact someone stepped in to stop the fight than someone getting punched in the forehead. That's where he got hit, right? He was still standing, right? Of course he was still standing! He hadn't moved from his spot. Still standing in front of Joshua. Why'd Joshua look like he seen a ghost?

"N-Neku…" Joshua called out.

At least Neku could pat himself on the back for worrying his former partner. Neku's attention was still on the jerk who dared swing at Josh. How dare he raise his fist at someone half of his size!

"What are you doing?!" Neku questioned the bully. Not like he was looking for an answer. His fuzzy vision told him that he might faint at any moment.

The punk was too angry to respond. A normal person would have been sent back after being punched that hard. Neku could count on the strength he gained in the UG as a reason he managed to stand his ground. There was another reason that Neku didn't want to think about. No, showing off wasn't his style at all but after getting knocked down by Noise and Reapers for three whole weeks, some  _nobody_  wasn't going to make him back down!

"Garghh! Get out of the way, Emo Spikes! Or I'll knock ya both down!"

Oh, this jerk was going to call him that stupid name?! So what if he was an emo in the past! He wasn't that pathetic shell anymore (even if he had his moments of wanting to retreat back into his shell). With a psychokinesis pin hidden in his pocket, Neku grasped it the moment the idiot tried to punch him again.

Bystanders expected Neku to actually get knocked down this time. Not stand up to a guy twice his size! In fact, the normal human couldn't grasp how Neku was able to catch the man's fist before it hit him. Was the bully expecting such resistance? Of course not! Neku was a scrawny teenager and was still able to hold his wrist with relative ease. Only Joshua and Beat would notice that Neku was cheating with the pin.

"I said…RELAX!"

Now the ex-Player was on the offensive. The pin activated and he was able to lift the bully into the air before slamming him on the ground like he was a Noise. The sound of a bone breaking didn't exactly hit Neku's ears unlike the horrified girly scream coming from the same guy who was hurting a little girl.

"Dammit! If you're going to stand here and throw punches then stay on the ground! Idiot!"

The bully only sobbed as a response to the lecturing. Neku smirked thinking that he did great…expect he really didn't. Upon closer inspection, Neku finally remembered that this wasn't the UG. He couldn't get away with attacking someone without any consequences. And this guy…had his arm dislocated…

"Oh…" Neku mumbled. The slow realization hit him. And Josh had no problem rubbing it in.

"Neku…you broke his arm…"

"Whoops."

Whoops indeed. Bystanders refused to help the bully who was now the victim of this situation all because he had morphed into a baby. Josh had turned his attention back to the little girl who had been harassed. Beat wanted to say something but the shouts of a certain teacher froze him in place. Neku felt like a deer in the headlight hearing that teacher's voice of all voices. Students moved out of the way for him and the demonic expression he wore was far from pleasing.

"What is the meaning of this?!"

Of the entire teacher's in the facility, why did the demon teacher have to be the one to witness the events?

"S-Shiro-sensei…" Neku couldn't help but croak. The last thing he wanted was to end up on this teacher's hit list. Tatsuya pushed through the students and drew a conclusion based on the scene before him. Josh's figure protected the little girl from the math teacher's wrath but there was no way she could get in trouble.

"Sakuraba, Kiryu," he spoke. "You're both coming with me."

Wait, just them?! Why wasn't the one who threw down not getting called out?! Josh flinched at his name being called but he wasn't going to get up immediately. Neku let out an agitated groan, dreading what this teacher intended to do.

* * *

At the very least, the two teens were not taken to the principal's office for whatever reason. Instead, they were taken to the infirmary where Josh wasted no time in looking for the first-aid. Most of the time, Neku had a pin that would heal his wounds but that was one of the few pins that he couldn't get to work after the Reaper's Game. If he got hurt, he would have to take care of himself the old fashion way. Despite losing his powers, the silver haired male still knew how to treat injuries.

It was his friend that made Neku ignore Tatsuya opening his big mouth and lecturing them on actions not pertaining to them. That worked at first with how alcohol applied his injury forced his attention on the pain. Being told to sit still only made things worse but the pain would subdue in due time.

For all the screaming and yelling that rang in his ears for the past ten minutes, the thing that annoyed Neku the most was the stupid math teacher's arrogant tongue. The bastard saw what happened but he got dragged to the teacher's lounge with Josh. What about the guy who punched him? Why wasn't he here? Not like Neku would notice. Blood got in his eye and he needed to keep a handkerchief above it while Josh looked for something that would make it easier to stop the bleeding.

"Sakuraba, why would you cause trouble for the students here?!" The math teacher continued to ramble. "Your job is to make sure that the transfer student doesn't get in trouble and then this happens!"

Excuse him? The fuck did he just say?

"It is the duty of students to report to the teacher to avoid conflict. Raising your fists is disrespectful. You broke the rules. What do you have to say?"

"Is the bleeding done?"

Neku thought he said that to himself but apparently he asked out loud. The math teacher preferred to lecture him rather than help him with his injury. The one thing Josh had demonstrated his skills in time and time again was treating wounds. As the Composer, he just used his healing magic and the wound was gone. Without his powers, Joshua still knew how to do it the old-fashioned way. The ex-Composer ignored Tatsuya's rambling and applied pressure slightly above Neku's eye. It was amazing he could still see and not pass out from blood loss.

"If you didn't pick a fight, you wouldn't be in the infirmary," Tatsuya scolded.

 _Jerk._  Neku growled to himself.

"Don't move, Neku," Josh spoke softly. When he was more comforting than the other person in the room, you know something was wrong with this picture.

Neku flinched feeling the cotton ball brushing against his eyelid. Josh stayed relatively calm through this ideal but the ash haired teen shot nasty glares at the teacher who continued yapping away.

"You know, silence would make this easier," Josh finally interrupted. "For all your complaining, you sure aren't lecturing the other guy for harassing that little girl."

Josh got straight to the point. Neku flinched and it wasn't because Josh pushed a little harder on the cotton ball. He knew that tone his friend was using. It was the same one he used when interrogating people in the Reaper's Game. The biggest difference was that Josh took this seriously.

Mr. H recited that Josh was subjected to the same type of bullying when he was still alive. No one was there for him when he was labeled as a mentally insane individual.

"That child knew what she was getting into when she skipped an entire grade level. She needs to toughen up and stop being a mental case."

It didn't matter if Neku was still bleeding. He wasn't going to let Josh treat him after his mood dropped instantly. This was what he wanted to avoided! Just saying "mental" put his friend in a pissy mood!

"…You have some nerve…" Josh mumbled. Neku grabbed Josh's wrist and lowering it. The ex-Composer's fury could have exploded and it would not have helped either of their cases. "What kind of teacher continues talking like this…"

"Josh, uh…" Neku interrupted. "Are you almost done?"

It was Neku's way to stop Josh from saying something stupid. Their math teacher didn't hear the accusation thrown at him.

"A child her age is not entitled to be treated her age. She can act like the rest of us. She was taken in by a politician. She has no right to cry about a few disagreements with her fellow students."

From what Neku saw, pushing a little girl to the ground in an attempt to take her backpack didn't seem like a little disagreement. All this man was doing was pissing his ex-partner off.

But Josh wasn't going to have a time to blow up on the teacher. Someone else came into the nurse's office and saved the day.

"You can complain all you want, Tatsuya, but we're not going to talk about the fool who got his arm broken?"

Neku flinched more at what was told about the bully he knocked down than the new teacher coming in. Josh didn't know who he was so of course he would glare at the newcomer. It did not go unnoticed.

"Hey, Princess, no need to give me that dirty look! It's cute but I'm not into the young ones!"

Neku shook his head in annoyance. While Josh would be taken back by this teacher being so informal, it was a breath of fresh air.

"Yasuhiro, don't you have a class to teach?" the math teacher asked darkly.

"Oh, I will…when I check up on these two."

Masaru Yasuhiro was the gym teacher for the school. Neku wondered how the hell someone like him became a teacher. He was what was best described as a street punk. He had no manners and no respect to the school rules. He broke as many rules as possible but did so in a way that stopped him from getting the pink slip. While many teachers tried to set an example to their students, Masaru did no such thing. He treated his students like they were old friends and that was probably why the majority of the male body admired him so much…especially Beat. For being such a slacker and not the sharpest tool in the shed, Masaru seemed to understand how teenagers were and acted accordingly.

Being a gym teacher gave him the leeway to skip teaching his class and spy on other teachers. All he needed to do was give his students the orders and they would be done for the day. No brain power was needed unless necessary. His demeanor made the female body wary of him. Because he was so informal, he was very vocal about his tastes in women. Neku did find it weird how he'd ogle girls who have an above average chest or a large butt but his record was very clean…clean enough to where he wasn't fired for sexual harassment.

Masaru wasn't smart though so he already made a bad impression on Josh by thinking he was a pretty girl. Not like it was a hard thing to do.

"Yasuhiro-sensei, Josh is a guy," Neku found himself growling despite his injury.

The glare the petite male had on the teacher lessened. As effective as it could have been, the gym teacher simply wasn't fazed.

"Congrats for sending that jackass to the hospital," Masaru began with a huge grin on his face. "He had what was coming!"

Tatsuya scoffed at the blond teacher. "Picking favorites I see? I really wonder how you've managed to hold onto this job. Promoting violence in this school…"

"Bitch, I don't want to hear you talking about promoting violence when you just stood in the shadows and let the Little Rabbit get bullied."

The strong accusation came with an icy cold room. These teachers hated each other and Neku did not want to be caught in the middle of their argument. Even Josh noticed and froze up while taking care of his friend.

"Preposterous!" Tatsuya yelled. "A teacher like me would never let an incident like this slide."

"Yet you said it yourself. Little Rabbit's age doesn't excuse her from bullying. That's kind of harsh for a teacher who is supposed to be a role model. Imagine if her father found out."

Now that caused Tatsuya's wicked smile to falter. His red eyes glowed and he might have lost his cool.

"Would you really tell that girl's father and bring shame to this school?" Tatsuya asked. "Then again, you being here has already tarnished this school's reputation."

"Says the one who was involved with that scandal ten years ago," Masaru argued. "I'm still surprised you have your job after an incident like that."

Ten years ago? That number just happened to match how long Josh had been dead. For a moment, Neku thought the two incidents were connected, but interrogating Josh now would be a terrible idea. He remained silent and just let the teachers bicker with each other.

"You know, once we find someone who is obsessed and godlike with math, you know your ass is gonna get fired!" Masaru declared as he pointed toward the math teacher. "I will last longer than you!"

Tatsuya clenched his fists, rage obviously visible in his countenance. "Anyone can replace you any time. You don't contribute to anything in this school. All you do is look up the skirts of high school girls. You'll mess up big time before I'm gone."

In the back of Neku's mind, if both of these teachers were fired, nothing of importance would be lost. If he had to pick a side though…

"Don't you have a class to teach?" Masaru suddenly asked. "Unlike me, you care about being a role model to these wonderful students."

Masaru was the type of teacher who would make students wait and would be pardoned. The same could not be the same for the math teacher. The demon teacher snarled something sinister under his breath before he dismissed himself from the infirmary, pushing past the gym teacher who intentionally stood in his way.

Once the math teacher stormed out of the infirmary, Masaru turned his attention to the two students before him. He laughed once Tatsuya was out of hearing range.

"Hahahahaha! That asshole really thought he could throw students under the bus for his negligence! But I'm the one who should worry about my job?!"

Josh's shoulders tensed. He wasn't used to a teacher who was so vocal about his opinion. All the ex-Player needed to do was reassure his friend that this was not one of the teachers he should be wary of.

"Yasuhiro-sensei, I may be a student but I know that your language isn't appropriate," Neku reminded the gym teacher. One of the best things about Masaru was that he was easier to talk down to compared to other teachers. He acted like a teenager, making it easier to forget that he had authority. But some manipulation was needed to get out of the hellhole Neku accidentally dug.

The blond teacher just laughed at Neku's reasonable reminder. If Josh wasn't taking care of him, he would have fiddled with his hair spike in annoyance.

"Don't talk to me like that, Sakura. I don't need a lecture from my friend's son."

Josh tilted his head in confusion. Neku groaned even louder.

"Neku, what is he talking about?"

"This guy…is one of my dad's friends," Neku mumbled.

This was one detail that Neku didn't want to remember. The gym teacher was friends with his father. They went far back as far as his father was concerned and often, Masaru would barge into the house to get his father to go out and drink with him. When Neku's mother was around, she would make sure that wouldn't happen but since she's working in the states more often than not, it was easier to persuade his dad to be a "bad" parent. Out of all the teachers, Masaru was the most casual to Neku, treating him more like a nephew more than a student.

"…You don't say…" Josh murmured.

"YEP! YASUHIRO MASARU IS MY NAME! Nice to meet you, transfer student! We don't get that many this time of year. You're a really cute one."

"Yasuhiro-sensei…" Neku started. Teacher or not, Masaru went too far sometimes with his friendliness.

"Hey! Don't be acting like Haruka!" Masaru squealed taking a step back. "I've already taken enough beatings from your mom!"

 _Then stop trying to get into the pants of people younger than you._  Neku thought darkly to himself. His glare never left the gym teacher.

"Sakura, you should be thanking me for coming in. That jerk would have put you both in detention if I didn't swing by."

Point taken. Neku relaxed his muscles. Josh finished patching the injury above his eye. Hopefully, the wound wouldn't open up again requiring a bigger bandage.

"And do you intend to do that?" Neku asked.

"Ha-ha-ha! No way! I'm pardoning you two!" Masaru declared. "That kid had it coming for a while."

"…Not the most teacher thing to say…" Josh casually said.

"Well I'm not a normal teacher. I'm on the side of the students! That's why I gotta congratulate you, Sakura, for beating up someone twice your size. Didn't think you had it in you with how scrawny you are but I guess the black belt blood of your mother is still in there."

Neku stared blankly at his father's friend. That was supposed to be a compliment but the orange haired teen felt like it was an insult more than anything.

"But now that I know that you're capable of physical activity, I expect you not to be lazy during my class."

The ex-Proxy flinched. "Huh?!"

"Ah-ha-ha-ha. You think you're so slick, Sakura? I know you give up quickly just so you can listen to music until class is over. You ain't gonna do that anymore or I'll tell your dad about the events today. A-ha-ha!"

"…This is blackmail…" Neku groaned. "It's not like I intentionally broke that guy's arm."

"Oh I know. You're like your dad and play hero."

"That's-"

"Besides, that's how you earn brownie points with the cute girls like the one nursing you."

Josh let out an exasperated sigh. There was a limit to how long he would remain silence. Neku wasn't that pleased either.

"For the last time, Josh is-."

"The next target for Tatsuya to go after," Masaru finished. "I apologize for that jerkass's holier than thou attitude. He shouldn't be acting like that to students that exceed his expectations but don't bow down to him."

Josh wasn't going to let that "girl" comment slide. Like Neku, he folded his arms unamused. "Oh, I knew that the moment I locked eyes with him."

"Be careful, kid. Tatsuya has issues with students who he deems as "unwell" or something ridiculous like that."

Masaru didn't need to trend the subject carefully. Tatsuya made it clear that the mentally ill students were free to be mocked. Josh defending the little girl just put a target on him but it's not like the ex-Composer minded too much. At least, Neku believed Josh didn't care what the math teacher thought.

"Buuuut…Sakura," Masaru began.

"Can you actually say Sakuraba instead of shortening it?" Neku interrupted.

"Hush! I just need to let you know that while I'm pardoning you both, I can't exactly hide from your dad about the incident. If you made it out without an injury, I wouldn't need to tell your dad about it."

"Huh?! But you just said…"

"Hey, I promised nothing would happen to his little depressed mess of a son. I think he'll feel at ease that you picked up those skills from Haruka."

Neku was so done with this teacher! Why did he have to make him feel bad?! The expression Josh had started to change ever so slowly. Masaru glanced up toward the clock and remembered he still had a class. With a quick wave, he turned tail and left. However, he came back in almost a few seconds later.

"Both of you, head to your fifth period. Pretend nothing happened. The principal won't mind too much about the incident."

 _What does that mean?_  Neku asked himself. Masaru left the two teens alone and finally, something broke. Josh let out a laugh before he could stop himself. Suddenly, the orange haired teen's face was too hot for him.

"Heh…I didn't know there was such an odd teacher like that here."

"He's a nightmare to deal with," Neku said as a matter of fact statement. "And stop laughing at me. None of this funny! This asshole abuses his status to hell and back."

"But Neku, he told me more about your family than you have~." Josh teased.

"You never asked!"

"But we're roommates now, so I should be able to know everything about you."

Josh was too close for comfort. Neku gently pushed the older teen away causing Josh to whine dramatically.

"You just need to ask," Neku repeated. "…And don't do that next time."

"Do what?"

"…Don't throw yourself in front of people like that. You don't have your powers and I might not be faster next time…"

"Oh, are you worried about me, Neku?"

Of course he was! Anyone would! Josh wasn't the Composer anymore so he would have had terrible bruises that would be difficult to hide. After what Mr. H said about how often Josh was bullied when he was alive previously, Neku wanted to prevent it from happening.

"…It's the first day," Neku answered. "I know you don't like Rafael but it doesn't help anyone if you make too many enemies. If I didn't have that pin…"

Joshua didn't argue with his ex-partner. For once, Neku's logic was reaching his brain. Neku could only hope that Josh took his advice to heart. He feared that students would look at him differently after today and then school would just be hell again.

"I can handle myself."

The logic didn't reach him. Neku chose to end the conversation if Josh didn't register that he couldn't do whatever he wanted anymore…

* * *

Eventually, the two headed out to their next class. By now, lunch was done and the students made it to their elective class. Neku had told Joshua to go to his class first. He wanted to rest for a few more minutes before heading to his class. The bleeding had stopped but he still had a bad headache. Concentrating seemed less likely but at least he wouldn't have to wear a bandage.

The school nurse was out of the area and would return next week. That was why the students had to fend for themselves. She expected no one would need to use the first aid. If she learned that Neku got slapped around, she wouldn't be pleased and give him a very unpleasant lecture. Neku shivered at the thought of being alone with the nurse. He preferred going to class with the headache despite sleep being the better option.

That was when the ex-Player realized something. He and Josh did not have the same elective. It made sense that Michael would find a way to get an elective that Josh actually appreciated instead of trying to get them in all the classes. Neku learned that Joshua wasn't the most artistic person. He didn't understand CAT's artwork. Joshua had more of a musical taste and historical knowledge to care, so the elective class the ex-Composer had must have been music.

Fifth period was Neku's favorite because it was a subject he enjoyed. Josh wouldn't be in this class to annoy him. The art teacher was down to earth and also a huge fan of CAT so it wasn't hard to do the projects assigned. One hour wasn't enough for the class. If the ex-Player had a choice, he'd be in art all day just staring at CAT's artwork. Alas, that's not how things worked and what followed after lectures was usually a quiz. Thankfully, the quizzes weren't difficult and the quiz happened last week.

Unfortunately, class wasn't going to go well for Neku because of what happened at lunch. The thing about being the school's current subject meant you would be subjected to odd looks and murmuring behind your back. Neku never cared for the spotlight and always kept his head down until recently. That didn't mean he wanted to be involved with a huge social circle. He wasn't a social animal like his father. Just take baby steps to social interaction and everything should be fine! Everything should have been fine…

But fuck, everyone was staring at the orange haired student when he walked through the art door. Fading into obscurity sounded nice with how the student body suddenly found him interesting.

 _Calm down, Neku. They only think you're weird._  Neku told himself.  _Wait, that's not any better. Guhhh…_

The art teacher didn't need to look at the door like the students to see who it was.

"Aww, Sakuraba, how nice of you to rejoin us,"

"My apologies, Kai-sensei."

"No worries. Just take your seat and start painting. It's a free expression today."

So the class was going to take no time at all. Neku could pretend no one else existed and focus on creating art inspired by CAT. This was Neku's favorite period even before he went in to the Reaper's Game. A class that allowed you to express yourself. A lenient teacher who understood the art of well…art. Other students were left to their own devices so everyone left each other alone unless they asked for suggestions.

The perfect class wasn't in today. Everyone still kept their eyes on Neku like a hawk. The headsets were going to come on in a few minutes if it meant drowning out the attention he was receiving. The ex-Player failed to settle down because the class rep approached him. The joker persona vanished as he stared at him like he was going to report the death of someone dear to him.

"Neku…" Yuu whispered. "You…"

 _What now?_  Neku asked himself. Does this brat want to complain about sending someone to the hospital?  _Couldn't he wait and not make a fool of me in this class?!_

Students expected Yuu to give a nasty lecture to troublemakers of the school…even if Neku wasn't exactly at fault. In the back of his mind, the orange haired hoped that Joshua wasn't put on the spot like he was. He wouldn't be able to help his friend out.

"What you did back there was super cool!" Yuu exclaimed. The irises in his purple eyes became stars and Neku wondered if that was normal. "Bullies deserve to be hurt!"

Neku gave a quick glance around the classroom. While the students pretended not to be spying on him, they were still muttering amongst each other.

"Should the class president even say that?" Neku inquired.

"Nope!" Yuu answered happily. "But now I know you're not a loser who sits in the corner and cries all the time."

Neku leered at the smaller male.  _Ouch._

"You're going to be the talk of the town," Yuu continued. "I hope you don't go back into your shell."

"…That's a one-time thing…" Neku growled. "I'm not some punk."

"No, but you're cute."

… _Is this guy flirting with me?_  Neku asked himself. "Look, I won't cause any more problems. I was left of the hook but it's not like I wanted to break that guy's arm…"

"Don't worry, his parents will cover him. He has the money to fix his arm. Maybe that will keep the bullies off your girl's back."

Once again, Josh was mistaken for a girl. In this case, Yuu knew the new transfer student was a male but decided to insult him. Neku rolled his eyes.

"Josh is a guy," Neku told him calmly. "And he's staying at my place. I have to look out for him…"

Yuu's expression flattened. "How annoying…"

"What?"

"Well, that's all I wanted to tell you. Make sure to not use your fists that much anymore or you won't be so lucky. And tell your girl that she can't expect people to help her out all the time."

Talk about a huge mood swing! Yuu went from calm to hyper to distant all in the span of five minutes. The tiny male skipped over back to his seat and started painting again without as much as acknowledging the guy he finished speaking to. Neku let out a sigh of relief. The other students finally stopped giving him the strange stares. The headset wearing student could pick up where he last left off last week and wait for the day to end. Before starting, Neku looked for a song on his player. Something quiet and relaxation was all he needed to lose himself in the art. Once the perfect song was selected, Neku forgot that he was even in the art room. He was in his own world creating art with the same passion as CAT.

* * *

The final bell rang and Neku couldn't contain his excitement. He could ditch this hellhole with his friends and go home! Unless, Eri decided to make him hang out with her and Shiki and then drag everyone else along with that.

Even when packing up, his classmates still stared at him strangely. Yuu's words still resonated in his ear. He refused to be the center of attention in school and hoped that this would all be forgotten within the next few days. When it involved Josh, nothing was allowed to be normal.

Eri prevented Neku from making a clean getaway (he wouldn't be able to if he needed to look out for Josh. Those archangels wouldn't be all that pleased if he left him alone). Shiki wasn't too far behind her. Eri had the goofiest grin on her face and Neku knew it was a terrible sign.

"So, I heard you played knight in shining armor during lunch," Eri hummed. "Tell me all the juicy details."

Yep, this was an expected conversation. Neku folded his arms in disapproval. "I got sent to the nurse's office," Neku grumbled. "I would have been sent to the principal's office if that jerk didn't hit me first."

Neku pointed to the bandage above his eye as proof. The moment Eri tried to poke the bandage to confirm the pain, Neku jerked away from her.

"Hey, it's sensitive!"

"Who fixed you up? The nurse ain't here for the week."

"Obviously, Josh." That sounded like a good answer but Eri squealed confusing the teen greatly. "What? He got in trouble too by proxy of standing right next to me."

"Daww, that's so cute!" Eri hummed. "He patched you up. Like a good boyfriend."

Shiki was more concerned for her friend's wellbeing than the potential fantasy romance that stirred in Eri's head. "A-Are you okay, Neku? Did you get detention?"

"Surprisingly, no. Yasuhiro-sensei came through and gave us a slap on the wrist. Shiro-sensei was pissed."

Served the math teacher right for trying to act holier than thou and then casually ignore the bully who started it. Neku would never understand how Mr. Masaru held so much authority despite being the teacher most likely to lose his job over something stupid…

"Serves him right!" Eri voiced. "That jerk deserved it."

Oh, he did alright. That's why he was the one that was sent to the hospital and most likely in trouble according to what the gym teacher said. That jerk was the one that was getting suspended for instigating the fight. Man, it felt good to stand up to a bully and get away with it! Looks like fiction could apply to real life sometimes.

"Seriously, how are you so strong?" Eri asked. "I heard people saying that you are secretly a bodybuilder."

"No, it's just…" Neku began speaking but didn't know how to respond. Eri knew about the Reaper's Game because of Shiki. What he didn't like was talking about the Reaper's Game in a public setting. WildKat was one of the safe places to talk about this but at school was just asking for trouble. "My pins still work."

"It's…amazing…" Shiki muttered. "Mr. Mew doesn't move anymore…but you're just that talented."

The orange haired teen couldn't believe that given how much the Composer manipulated so much behind the scenes to allow him to use any sort of pin. Using it in the RG even after the Reaper's Game was improbable but Neku made it work.

"Eri, want to take the spotlight away from me?" Neku asked her. "I did what I thought I had to do and I'm rewarded with unwanted stares. You're better at handling this."

Eri pondered for a moment about Neku's request. She chuckled, "No can do, Neku. I think it's actually cute that people are noticing you for who you really are."

"…I'm Emo Spikes who just happens to work out enough to throw someone down half my size…"

"And it's only going to get better from here on out."

Neku sighed in defeat. There was no escaping popularity for a week at most. He just needed to wait for an entire week before people turned their attention to another topic…so as long as Josh didn't get him to act like that again.

Speaking of Josh, "I need to pick up Josh."

Shiki gave him a peculiar look. Neku groaned assuming the worst.

"Shiki, I'm tasked with looking out for him. I can't have him running around and causing more problems."

"Nah," Eri started. "You're just worried about your wittle boyfriend."

"Please don't mock me with that baby language. And I have every reason to be concerned."

If that's how Josh acted on the first day, he wasn't going to survive the rest of the year. Rafael's idea would fail and then they would need to come up with a different plan.

The fear that Joshua wasn't going to get along with anyone outside of Neku's group of friends melted away upon hearing a familiar giggle. Neku recognized the voice and only frowned because the first thing that came to mind was Joshua mocking him.

"It looks like you won't have to worry about Josh not making any friends," Eri teased as she pointed toward the entrance. "See?"

Oh, he could see alright. The giggle came from the conversation Josh was having with that little girl who bullied not too long ago. Whatever happened in the one class they shared allowed them to act like longtime friends. Actually, Neku should have noticed how much attention Josh paid to the little girl during class. Something about her must have struck him fancy.

Of course, the conversation ended because of a certain loudmouth in the group.

"HEY! Get yo ass back here! You can't jus' leave me with the mess!"

Everyone's attention was to Beat who made a scene without any concern of others around him. Neku shook his head in annoyance that of course something happened that would set Beat off. Where was Rhyme when you needed her?

"Oh? But you made the mess," Josh hummed. "It was on your side of the room after all."

Beat forced himself to pause. "Well yeah, the sheets were on my side but you were the one who pinned the blame on me! Not cool, yo!"

"But Honoka-sensei would have known it was Kaguya that did it if you took the blame!" the little girl exclaimed backing up Josh.

"But I got detention!"

Oh, that explained his anger. Still, Neku didn't know who Kaguya was.

"You seem to be having a good time," Neku said catching Josh's attention. The ex-Composer looked over to Neku with his usual smirk. He was back to his old self even after that scary moment a couple of hours ago.

"Oh, I actually enjoyed the fifth period," Josh hummed. "Beat got in trouble."

"So I can see…" Neku muttered. "What happened?"

Josh chuckled thinking about the deed. "I just switched some papers around on the teacher and led her to come to her own conclusion who done it."

"But why me?!" Beat snapped.

"You make things too easy."

Beat made himself an easy target. One thing that Neku's energetic friend would have to deal with now was Josh messing with him. The silver haired male needed an outlet and someone as dumb as Beat unfortunately meant he made things too easy…

"I'm sorry, Beat…" the little girl apologized. "Because of Kaguya…"

"Usagi, you don't need to apologize to that oaf."

"Excuse me?! Why am I in trouble when you can't keep yo pet in check? Pets aren't even allowed!"

Usagi flinched at the obvious rule. Pets weren't allowed on campus. Not like that would stop others from bringing small dogs or cats in their bag. This little girl only got shit because she had a target marker on her back.

"S-Sorry…Kaguya was just…"

Josh let out an exasperated shrug. "Beat, why are you bullying this little girl? Don't you have any shame?"

Beat took the obvious bait. "Wahh?! No way! I got in trouble because of your antics! That's not right!"

"…Who is Kaguya?"

In order to take the heat away from the little girl, Neku needed to make sure the topic changed to something that would allow the little girl to speak up. The girl's eyes widened. She grabbed her backpack and zipped it open. While it wasn't exactly closed for good reasons, Neku found it odd how a small animal could fit in there without suffering any injuries.

"My friend is Kaguya! I take her with me everywhere I go!"

"But it's not allowed in school…" Beat groaned. "Why did I get detention for this furball?"

Shiki and Eri looked over Neku's shoulder to get a good glance at the small lagomorph. The rabbit had popped its head out of the bag and cautiously took a look at its surroundings. The girls squealed seeing the adorable bunny wiggle its small nose before trying to hide back into the backpack.

"Oh my gosh! That rabbit is so cute!" Eri squealed. "Can I hold her?"

Usagi took a small step back and shook her head. "Ahh…Kaguya doesn't like strangers…"

As quickly as the energy came, the energy left Eri. "O-Oh…"

"Eri, you can't expect animals to like you when you come onto them like that," Neku couldn't help but joke. "Then again, I bet rabbits wouldn't mind being near Josh."

Oh, Josh was going to kill him for that. Joshua gave a quick glare toward Neku before forcing himself to smile at Usagi. What Neku witnessed went over his friends' head. They didn't know the silver haired male had a soft spot for bunnies.

 _That actually might be the real reason Josh is even talking to her._  Neku thought to himself.  _Stay crafty, Josh…_

"Rabbits aren't fond of loud noises, Neku," Josh hummed. "If the rabbit ears are down and facing sideways, you scared it…or in this case, Beat scared it."

_Of course you would know that, Rabbit Boy._

Regardless of what Josh said, he yearned to pet the fluffy ball in the backpack like Eri. Usagi shivered slightly. She was still nervous around them but talking about rabbits opened her up…just slightly. Neku wondered if he could repeat what he did a few days ago and lift the rabbit out of the bag. The bunny in that cage wasn't scared enough to let him pick it up but it still scrambled at the unknown. Would this one make a cute hat for Josh too? This rabbit was a spotted one so it might not look as good as the pure white one from before.

Neku's devious plot cancelled itself out upon Usagi shrieking when she checked the time on her phone.

"Oh, I-I need to catch the train!" Usagi suddenly exclaimed. "P-Papa wants me home early so I have to leave now!"

Joshua smiled and gave a small wave. "Be careful on the train."

"I will be fine, Yoshi! I've been taking the train for years now!"

That's not exactly a good thing but it showed how a small independent girl was capable of a scary feat. Usagi made sure her backpack was mostly zipped before rushing off. She almost tripped when turning the corner of the school but she still managed to maintain her balance. If the group were to turn the corner, she would have been gone.

 _She's pretty fast._  Neku thought to himself.

Looking back at Eri, Neku swore her face warped into a witch planning something sinister. The fact that it was aimed toward Josh only made things worse.

"Wow, so not only do you have a killer fashion sense, but you're good with children too," she said as a matter of fact statement.

Neku and Beat found themselves taken back by the comment. Josh's reaction was slower but the smile on his face faded ever so slowly into a scowl.

"You must be mistaken. I was only concerned for her wellbeing."

Oh, that was a good time to bring up that the Composer didn't care enough for others unless they suited his end goal. But, the ex-Player started to take notice of one of Josh's bad habits. When he started to lie on a subject he wasn't keen of others knowing, his ring finger often twitched when he folded his arms. Eri might not have been observant, but she called his bluff.

"Oh, don't try to deny it. Lil' Usa doesn't talk to anyone in school unless she has to."

Josh wouldn't know of a detail like that and in all honesty, Neku didn't know either but that was not caring about anything until recently. Having an animal as their sole companion told the story of said person's life.

"Like I would know that," Josh grumbled. He was arguing a losing battle and no one was going to help him out of it. "I didn't appreciate how she was being bullied for a misconception. It's not cleared up, but…"

The mentally ill…Josh didn't want to say that out loud. With how he was abused for the idea that he wasn't like anyone else, of course he would get touchy about said subject.

"Eri's just pointing out how someone as closed off as Usagi opened up to you," Neku added. So he wanted to join in with the teasing. If Eri started it, then maybe he could get in on it without being the subject of abuse.

The older teen wasn't going to fall for that.

"That child just needed someone to talk to, that's it. That has nothing to do with me." His eyes gleamed when his attention fell to Neku. "But Neku dear, the same can't be said for you."

Neku barely talked to Usagi. He couldn't use the "insult" on him! The ex-Player folded his arms as if telling his friend to try and get him again in front of his friends. Joshua came prepared.

"You're so strong and manly. You were my hero~."

 _And the deflection begins._  Neku thought to himself. "I just used a pin. You already knew that."

Josh pouted. "Accept my compliment, Neku~."

Neku kept Josh at arms' length the moment he noticed that his friend was going into the next phase to deflect off of him.

"I accepted your thanks a few hours ago."

"But now I'm hungry~."

 _Really, your attempts at changing the subject is pitiful today._ Neku thought to himself. The problem was bringing up food brought on another subject.

"Yeah, I'm hungry too," Eri hummed. "Who is paying?"

Josh smiled. "I'm pretty sure Beat and Neku can treat us ladies."

Beat gave an exasperated look again. Even if the former Composer was just messing with the brash teen, Beat fell for it every time. He was still convinced Josh was secretly a yandere woman.

"Uh-uh. No way! I ain't got the money!" Beat yelled.

"…I paid the last time…" Neku added quietly to himself. "And I'm paying for other things for you, Josh."

The girls could care less about the excuses their guy friends were coming up with. Shiki already had a suggestion on where to eat (which wasn't exactly wallet friendly). Eri agreed to the option and she told Beat to bring Rhyme along with them. Beat gave up rather quickly since Rhyme would enjoy the place that Shiki wanted to go to. Neku shook his head in disappointment realizing he and Beat were going to have to split the bill in some shape or form. It wasn't fair but all the money he earned in the Reaper's Game was not going to go to waste.

As the group walked off campus, Neku noted Josh's sudden silence. Refusing to join in on the conversation only made the younger male worry.

"Hey…" Neku spoke.

"…I'll be fine, Neku," Josh replied rather quickly.

"…You sure?"

"Yeah…just…it's been so long since I enjoyed being in school."

Neku wondered if the ex-Composer was being sarcastic in that regard. Josh hated boredom and forcing himself to listen didn't really help him in any regards. But ten years ago, things might not have been so lively for Joshua.

"As long as I can keep texting you in class, dear~."

"Please don't. We'll get caught."

"Detention together doesn't sound too bad. Hee-hee."

"…I'm not a trouble student so please be on your best behavior."

Joshua giggled again. At least he wasn't zoning out. Neku smiled to himself as he urged Josh to pick up the pace. They were going to be left behind and Eri surely wasn't going to let the brooding teen skip out on paying their meal.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TBC with 18262 words. Notes!
> 
> 1\. If someone had the anime classroom picture, you should get the joke. Neku is in the protagonist seat, Shiki sits right next to him. Yuu is the class represented who sits in front of the teacher. Josh sits to the right of Usagi (friend of the main protagonist). Eri sits in front of Shiki, Rena sits in the "love interest seat" (but it's more because of how the good students are in the front and how her height means it's harder for those in the back to see). Usagi sits in the "best friend of the love interest" seat to the left of Josh. The other transfer student mentioned is in the transfer student seat. Beat doesn't have the same homeroom class as Neku.
> 
> 2\. Like stated in the previous chapter, some characters have names from Kingdom Hearts and it's intentional. There is no connection to Kingdom Hearts. Riku is the history teacher in this case and looks nothing like the character from KH. In retrospect, he looks more like Terra but is very passionate about history.
> 
> 3\. Japan is better than the US with math so they're already on harder math classes. I'm one of those people who completed Calculus III so I can at least do Calculus I problems. However, Tatsuya would try to pull a fast one and bring up stuff from a higher math level to embarrass students.
> 
> Also, to solve the problem, you just got to know you can't divide by 0 if you plug 0 into x and y. When you try to substitute x and y with another value (and reducing it in the equation), x would give you the answer of 0 and y gives you the answer of infinity. The problem looks intimidating on paper but it's really basic.
> 
> 4\. Teachers like Tatsuya unfortunately exist. They don't do anything to stop the bullying and punish the kid who fights back. Masaru is the exact opposite. Cool teachers are hard to come by and they certainly wouldn't pardon any student who pick a fight. They're supposed to be complete opposites. However, Josh does have backstory with the math teacher hence his antagonism.
> 
> 5\. Most students have six classes each day and only during the midterms do you stay in that one class. Everyone has a different elective but the class should have five of the six classes together. Most girls get put into home economics (cooking) while the boys get gym or another elective. So Shiki, Eri and Rena all end up in home economics for fifth period, Neku gets art with Yuu leaving Joshua, Beat and Usagi in music. Beat would have gotten gym but the school decided that giving him the one easy class wouldn't make him work harder. However, the music teacher is super nice and lenient (unless you prank her) so it's not all bad.
> 
> 6\. Neku pretty much doesn't stand out in school. He's one of those kids who doesn't follow the dress code but also does well in school so it's just a matter of what is a priority to the teacher. Normally, Josh would want to be the center of attention but because this is the school he died in, he wouldn't want eyes on him. However, he's not going to stand by and watch someone else who might have similar problems to him be a scapegoat to bullies. The math teacher discriminates against those who might have mental illnesses.


End file.
